Increased traffic through the intersection of St. Pierre and Notre-Dame in Lachine is being blamed for an elderly woman’s death and residents are now demanding action be taken to make it safer.
According to police, an 80-year-old woman was walking on the crosswalk on Notre-Dame, crossing St. Pierre on Monday. They said she was still in the middle of the road when time ran out. The light turned green for cars and police believe a truck couldn’t see her.
READ MORE: Senior dead after collision with truck in Lachine
“Residents have been telling me for years now that someone is going to get killed,” Coun. Maja Vodanovic said.
“It’s super dangerous. My husband witnessed a death a few years back,” said local resident Marylene Audet.
People in Lachine say since the construction on the new Turcot Interchange began, more trucks have been detoured into the area, creating more traffic and more tension.
Audet said her son was nearly a victim.
“Some car got impatient because of the traffic and everything and tried to turn on the red light and almost killed him,” she told Global News.
Some think the traffic lights are the problem.
“I find that the lights are really designed to prioritize vehicles,” cyclist Isabelle Johnston said.
She said making changes is not easy because the Turcot construction crew needs to be consulted, along with the Quebec transport ministry, the city and the borough mayor.
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“We will work the next couple of days to see what could be done to make these lights safer,” Lachine mayor Claude Dauphin said.
He said a plan has been in the works to fix the intersection. It was supposed to be completed last year.
Dauphin blames the City of Montreal for delays.
“The borough of Lachine is asking Montreal for new measures. It takes three to four years, that doesn’t make any sense.”
The city wasn’t available for comment.
Officials in Lachine say the reconstruction of the St. Pierre interchange could provide an opportunity to fix the problem.
“The St. Pierre interchange will have to be rebuilt in a way that’s more safe for our citizens,” Dauphin said.
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