Quebec’s coroner resumed hearings this week into road deaths involving trucks. The inquiry is now focusing on a mother and her five-year-old son who died in a collision on the South Shore. On Aug. 27, 2025, a truck slammed into several vehicles on Highway 30 near Boucherville, Que. Tanya Lalonde, 34, and her 5-year-old son, Elliot, died in the crash. Elliot’s grandfather, Luc Florent, is attending the inquiry and was visibly emotional hearing some of the testimony. “I want to see some changes,” he said, such as more warning signs ahead of important highway junctions. “It could help alert drivers.” A paramedic at the scene of the crash who testified on Tuesday said the truck driver told her he was distracted and didn’t have time to react. It was also revealed that the truck driver’s load was overweight. That’s important information, said Jean-Claude Daignault, president of the fraternity of road control officers. Two weeks of hearings took place in March and April. Those centered on another truck-related death. The inquiry aims to analyze the causes and circumstances of road deaths involving heavy trucks while also discussing road safety issues in the hopes of preventing further deaths. Quebec’s trucking association has been following the hearings closely and is expecting recommendations from Coroner Dave Kimpton. “I know that sometimes there might be a lack of control on hours of services and I think this is going to be one of the issues that will certainly be brought out,” said CEO Marc Cadieux. The driver in the August 2025 fatal crash is expected to testify on Wednesday. Hearings are expected to continue into November.
