Child, two adults in critical condition after Quebec highway accident

A Surete du Quebec cruiser is seen in this file photo. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot)

Rivière-Rouge — Two adults and a child are in critical condition in hospital after a traffic accident in Rivière-Rouge in the Laurentians.

All three were in a van together when the accident occurred Wednesday around 6:30 p.m., on Highway 117, near kilometer 180, when the driver lost control for a reason not yet determined.

“According to initial information, the vehicle would have rolled over and the extrication clamps were needed on site in order to dig out the three passengers,” said officer Anik Lamirande, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).

“The three occupants, a man and a woman in their thirties, as well as a child, were transported to a hospital to treat serious injuries,” she said.

It remains unclear if they’re members of the same family.

The southbound lane on Highway 117 was closed for several hours while SQ officers were on the scene.

The investigation is ongoing.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 28, 2021.