Quebec, March 14 (BNA) Two men were killed after a pickup truck plowed into pedestrians alongside a road in the eastern Quebec town of Amke, although a senior Canadian official quickly ruled out a terrorist attack or a national security incident.
A provincial police spokeswoman said nine other people were injured, including two considered critical, the Associated Press reported.
Sgt. Helen St-Pierre said the 38-year-old driver, a local resident, turned himself in to police and was arrested on suspicion of a fatal hit-and-run.
A senior government official familiar with the matter said the incident was not related to terrorism or national security.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
The authorities gave no motive.
St-Pierre said investigators and reconstruction experts are working to determine the circumstances of the accident.
“Everything indicates that it was an isolated incident and that there is no longer any danger in the area and there is only one suspect,” she said.
The accident occurred just after 3:00 p.m. along St-Benoit Street in Amqui, a town about 350 kilometers (220 miles) northeast of Quebec City.
The Regional Health Board confirmed that a “code orange” had been declared at Amki Hospital, which generally indicates a situation with a high number of casualties.
He saw a police officer perform CPR on a person lying on the ground. He said there didn’t appear to be any children in the group.
Last month in Laval, Quebec, police said a man driving a city bus deliberately rammed into a daycare center, killing two children.
NAA