‘Distracted’ woman dies after falling between two subway cars in Montreal

MONTREAL – Montreal police and Quebec’s coroner’s office are investigating after a 2o-year-old woman was killed in the metro last week.

Audrey-Anne Dumont died last Friday morning after she somehow fell between two Montreal subway cars and dragged along for two stops before commuters noticed blood on the tracks.

Authorities say the wheels of the train crushed the young woman, killing her instantly.

Part of the subway line was shut down for the morning rush hour.

Security cameras in the metro apparently captured images of the young woman walking with her head down.

She was believed to be distracted by her cell phone at the time and fell into a gap between the metro cars by mistake.

On Friday, all that was left was a small bouquet of blue roses sitting on the platform of the Monk metro station in west-end Montreal.

The tragedy has since shed a spotlight on the dangers of texting and walking.

The victim’s father, Gabriel Dumont, says his daughter is only partly to blame for the accident.

“There’s no barrier there.  Nothing,” he told Global’s Domenic Fazioli.

“We have to put something, a cover,” he added. “We have to make it safer in the metro.  That’s the message I want to get out.”

The STM, Montreal’s transit authority, refused to comment on the family’s request for improved safety measures.  Spokesperson Amelie Regis says accidents like these are extremely rare.  According to statistics, an average of one person a year falls onto the subway tracks accidentally.

Starting in 2014, new metro cars will be introduced across the underground system.  The current subway train design with so-called “gaps” will be replaced by one continuous train.

A funeral for Audrey-Anne Dumont will be held Saturday afternoon at Eglise L’Acadie in St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu.