Quebec’s chief coroner orders inquiry into deaths linked to heavy-truck collisions

MONTREAL — Quebec’s chief coroner has ordered a public inquiry into fatal collisions involving heavy trucks, as trucking industry representatives have been sounding the alarm about unsafe conditions on the province’s roads.

On Friday, chief coroner Reno Bernier announced the inquiry following a request from the province’s public security minister, Ian Lafrenière.

“Following the examination of several fatal collisions involving heavy trucks in recent months, we believe it is necessary to launch this public inquiry to shed light on the existing issues and better protect human life,” Bernier said in a statement.

Data from Quebec’s auto insurance board says that in 2024, 100 of the 379 deaths that occurred on Quebec roads were the result of accidents involving a heavy vehicle, including trucks, tractor units and school buses — an increase of 35 per cent compared to 2023.

The coroner’s office said the inquiry will focus on the deaths of Tanya Lalonde, 34, and her son Elliot, 5, who died in a crash in August. They were killed, and four others were injured, when a truck collided with their vehicle in a pileup on Highway 30 near Boucherville, Que., on Aug. 27, 2025.

Dave Kimpton, the coroner assigned to the case, could decide to include other recent truck-involved deaths to offer a more complete picture of the situation, the coroner’s office said. Kimpton will also make recommendations to prevent future deaths in similar circumstances.

Quebec trucking industry representatives have been warning for months that the province’s roads are becoming increasingly dangerous because of the rise in inexperienced drivers who are often operating poorly maintained trucks. They say companies, mostly from Ontario, exploit these drivers — often immigrants willing to work for much lower wages than the industry standard.

Those questionable labour practices were under scrutiny this week after a House of Commons committee launched a study into a business model known in the trucking industry as “Driver Inc.” Under that model, transport companies classify drivers as independent contractors — rather than employees — a designation that allows companies to avoid certain payroll deductions, such as group insurance and retirement plan contributions.

An expert told the House committee that the industry is being undermined because compliant carriers are struggling to compete against companies exploiting the model for profit.

The schedule of the coroner hearings will be released at a later date.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2025.

— with files from Catherine Morrisson in Ottawa and Stéphane Blais in Montreal.

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press