Husband and wife struck in possible hit-and-run during cycling fundraiser; police looking for vehicle

A man has issued a desperate plea for a driver to surrender after his parents were hit by an SUV during a cycling event before the vehicle took off.

A Quebec woman says she and her husband were seriously injured in a possible hit-and-run collision while they were cycling in a charity event in Rigaud last weekend.

Julie Gagnon said she doesn’t remember getting hit. All she remembers is waking up on the ground after the crash, which happened at around 5 p.m. Saturday on Chemin du Haut-de-la-Chute, according to Quebec provincial police. The couple, both seasoned cyclists with decades of races and medals under their belt, was in the home stretch of the race when the crash happened.

Gagnon told CTV News Monday night that she was released from hospital Sunday after suffering upper and lower body injuries.

However, her husband, 61-year-old Mario Da Rocha, is still in the ICU in a medically-induced coma.

They were both participating in the Flatland à Annie charity race, also known as the Donkey Ride. The cycling race helps raise money for the Primrose Donkey Sanctuary, which cares for more than 70 donkeys, according a description of the event on the Fédération Québecoise des Sports Cyclistes website.

Organizers wished the two cyclists a speedy recovery in a post on their page Sunday afternoon.

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) is now looking for witnesses and released a photo of a vehicle they suspect was involved in the collision and failed to remain at the scene. Police say they are hoping to speak with the occupants of a black GMC Terrain crossover SUV with front-end damage.

‘Please turn yourself in’

The couple’s son, Robert Gagnon-Da Rocha, recalled his sister’s frail voice on the phone when she called Saturday evening.

“First thing I thought about was my parents are dead,” he said in an interview Tuesday.

He said after the driver left the scene, bystanders rushed in to help.

“That’s not something you can repay. And we’re so thankful for them. They’re, you know, they’re heroes to us,” he said.

Gagnon-Da Rocha has a desperate plea for drivers to be careful and a message to the driver involved in the crash: “Please turn yourself in. It’s the right thing to do. It’s been a really hard past couple days for us and, please, just do the right thing,” he said.

He said doctors are monitoring his dad’s condition hour by hour but adds that he is known for his determination and stamina, beating cyclists half his age.

The family hopes he’ll be back on his feet, teaching grandchildren how to ski and feeding his chickens.

Anyone with information about the crash is asked to call the SQ at 1-800-659-4264.

With files from CTV Montreal’s Matt Grillo and Maria Sarrouh