One dead and several seriously injured in major collision in the Eastern Townships

A Surete du Quebec (SQ) police cruiser. (Daniel J. Rowe/CTV News)

A woman died Sunday afternoon and several people are in critical condition after a vehicle veered out of its lane and collided with two other vehicles in Cowansville, in the Eastern Townships.

The accident occurred around 1:45 p.m. on de la Rivière Street, also known as Route 104, near Wellington Street, said Sgt. Frédéric Deshaies, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).

According to initial reports, a vehicle travelling eastbound struck the rear of the vehicle in front of it. This caused the second vehicle to swerve into oncoming traffic on a curve. It then collided with a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction.

Four people were in the first vehicle. All were taken to the hospital. The 19-year-old driver suffered serious injuries and is in critical condition. The two people in the second vehicle were also taken to the hospital. The driver was seriously injured, and his passenger, a woman in her 70s, was killed in the accident.

Only one person was in the last car and is being treated for minor injuries.

A reconstructionist and a collision investigator were due to arrive at the scene of the accident in the afternoon to try to shed light on the circumstances of the event.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Aug. 4, 2025.