Child killed in head-on crash north of Gatineau, Que.

MRC des Collines de l'Outaouais police say a five-year-old boy was killed in a head-on crash in Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, Que., Tues. Dec. 14, 2021. (Police handout)

Police in western Quebec say a five-year-old boy has died following a head-on crash late Tuesday morning.

In a release, MRC des Collines de l'Outaouais police said two vehicles collided head-on on Route 309 in Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette, Que., about 65 km north of Gatineau.

Police said the initial investigation shows that a 33-year-old man driving one of the vehicles crossed into the opposite lane just before 11:30 a.m., striking a vehicle being driven by a 64-year-old man.

The 33-year-old had two kids in the car, a five-year-old boy and a seven-year-old girl. The boy was pronounced dead in hospital in Buckingham, Que., while the girl was taken to the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa with serious injuries. She is expected to survive.

The two drivers were also seriously hurt but their injuries are not considered life-threatening.

In a tweet Wednesday, police said the father of the two children was distracted by the children in the back seat, causing his eyes to leave the road for a moment, at which point, he crossed lanes.