Quebec City police are investigating a car crash that happened on Charest Boulevard, near St-Vallier Street, Wednesday afternoon.
Police said the two-vehicle collision occurred at around 12:50 p.m.
At least 30 firefighters were deployed to the scene after one of the vehicles crashed into La Station — a co-working space on the first floor of a mixed-use building — and burst into flames.
The fire department says the fire then spread to the building. The blaze was under control by 2 p.m.
At least 15 people were evaluated by paramedics, 12 of whom were taken to hospital to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries, including fractures, according to Bill Noonan a spokesperson for the Quebec City fire department.
“These people will be evaluated in hospital, but up to now, we don’t have reason to think their life is in danger,” he said.
Police provided a status update at around 5 p.m. and said that of the 12 injured, two were in serious condition. Police also said the two drivers involved in the collision were among those transported to hospital.
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Jean Morissette, who works inside the building, was nearby when the car crashed into the cafeteria.
“I just went to see if I could help the guy in the car,” he said, adding that when he got there he spotted a girl on the ground and went to assist her.
Morissette explained he was unsure whether or not to move the victim, but decided to act after seeing smoke coming from the car.
“There was some smoke, so I was suspecting that maybe there would be an explosion,” he said. “A few moments later, the car exploded.”
Morrissette carried her to safety and spoke to her long enough to get her name and discover it was her first day on the job.
Morrissette says he’s thankful no one on his team was injured. Normally he and his colleagues would have been in the cafeteria, but were attending a class instead. He also said the nice weather drew people outdoors.
“It could have been so much worse,” he said.
While the building was evacuated, Noonan said the crash did not affect the structure of the building.
“Where the car hit was between windows,” he said. “The building is secure.”
The cause of the crash is not yet known, and police aren’t ruling anything out.
“For now, several hypotheses are being examined,” said Quebec City police spokesperson Cyndi Paré.
Charest Boulevard was closed for several hours in both directions between St-Vallier Street and Langelier Boulevard. Police were asking motorists to avoid the area.