Two women injured in Montreal car crash; driver arrested after reportedly trying to flee

A man, 27, was arrested for impaired driving and fleeing the scene of a crash after two women were seriously injured in Montreal.

Two women in their 20s were injured – one of them seriously – after a car collided with a tree in the early hours of Sunday morning in the Villeray area of Montreal.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested after fleeing the scene of the accident.

Shortly before 3:30 a.m., the car, which was travelling northbound on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, struck a tree at the junction with Crémazie Boulevard, according to the Montreal Police Service (SPVM).

The vehicle then hit a post and came to a halt against a concrete wall.

Upon arrival, police found only two female passengers in the vehicle, as the driver had fled the scene. The two women, aged 25 and 26, sustained injuries and were taken to hospital, where doctors feared for the life of the younger woman.

The driver, who has not been identified by the SPVM, was “quickly” found and then arrested by police for driving under the influence.

He was taken to hospital, having also sustained injuries which, however, are not life-threatening. He will also have to undergo blood tests, the SPVM stated.

A perimeter was set up around the scene of the collision.

An investigation is underway.

Police have spoken to witnesses to the accident and will analyze footage from surveillance cameras near the scene if necessary.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 12, 2026.