Car flies off Draveurs Bridge towards ice on the Gatineau River

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Vehicle goes airborne off bridge in Gatineau

Car flies off Gatineau bridge towards ice on the river

A car was sent flying off the Draveurs Bridge towards the Gatineau River on Sunday morning.

In a video posted to Facebook by Camera de nuit, the car is seen colliding with another vehicle on Highway 50, seemingly losing control and ultimately heading off the bridge towards the Gatineau River below.

It appears that accumulated snow on the bridge allowed the car to be sent over the barrier. A second video posted by Camera de nuit shows snowplows on the bridge early Monday morning.

The ice was thick enough to keep the car out of the water.

Sûreté du Québec says emergency services responded to the incident at approximately 8:15 a.m. Police say the driver managed to get out of the vehicle on their own with no apparent injuries but was taken to the hospital as a precaution.

The driver of the other vehicle was uninjured.

Sûreté du Québec says an investigation is underway.

André Durocher, director of road safety with CAA Quebec, says the incident is a reminder of the dangers of winter driving.

“It could be very dangerous,” he said. “This is why people should be careful in the winter. Don’t underestimate what can happen if you hit one of those.”

Durocher says when hit at the wrong angle, a snow pile can send a vehicle over the barrier, as in this instance.

“People forget that it could be very slippery, particularly if you’re over a structure that’s over a river or water. With the condensation, the black ice is another thing to watch out for,” Durocher said.

Gatineau resident George Pombert says he’s had his own share of scary encounters on the bridge.

“It’s a fine bridge, the people are just driving too fast,” Pombert said.

On the other hand, Elise Lagace, also of Gatineau, says she’s not nervous to hit the route.

“I take my road, and I just stick on it and, goodbye,” Lagace said.

With files from CTV’s Dave Charbonneau

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