Brigadière Lisette Deschênes ensures the safety of students using this intersection.
A six-year-old cyclist was hit by a vehicle on Saturday morning at the intersection of 11th Street and Murdoch Avenue, an area of Rouyn-Noranda deemed “dangerous” by the principal of the nearby Noranda School.
The young girl, who suffered injuries, was transported to Sainte-Justine hospital in Montreal as a preventive measure. The authorities do not fear for her life.
The girl's father and two-year-old brother were also involved in the collision, as explained by Sergeant Éric Cadotte , information officer at the Sûreté du Québec.
The intersection of Murdoch Avenue and Quebec Avenue at dinner time.
She was accompanied by her father, also on a bicycle, and another family member, a two-year-old toddler who was positioned on the father's bicycle. When crossing the intersection of 11th Street, a vehicle would have entered Murdoch Avenue, since cyclists were traveling in the opposite direction. The two children were flown to Sainte-Justine hospital as a preventive measure to treat injuries there but also to be placed under observation, he explains.
To A few steps from the crash site, the principal of the Noranda School, which includes elementary and secondary students, considers the intersection of Murdoch Avenue and Quebec Avenue dangerous, especially during rush hour .
I never let [a child] cross this street without an employee [when the crossing guard is absent], says Amy Barker. I would never allow anything to happen to my students.
Amy Barker, Principal of Noranda School for eight years.
Ms. Barker says that opinion is shared by parents and members of her staff. She believes that this situation concerns all users who frequent this corner of the city and not only the students of her establishment.
Amy Barker asks the competent authorities to increase the surveillance and security measures at the corner of Murdoch Avenue and Quebec Avenue. She wants the City of Rouyn-Noranda to prohibit motorists from turning right on a red light.
“I think that will solve a lot of problems. ”
— Amy Barker, Principal of Noranda School
Ms. Barker welcomes the presence of crossing guards during peak hours on weekdays as well as the opening of the bypass, who has reduced heavy vehicle traffic near his school in recent years.
The director of public works and technical services at the City of Rouyn-Noranda, Hélène Piuze, assures that the municipal administration collects as much data as possible to reinforce the safety of intersections such as that of Murdoch Avenue and Avenue Quebec.
The intersection of Murdoch Avenue and Quebec Avenue after dinner time.
The right turn ban is one of the kinds of measures that the City of Rouyn-Noranda is prepared to consider.
It can be a measure, indeed. We are looking at all the [security] measures around schools. All these requests are taken seriously. Schools are major generators of travel. So we evaluate the data, and if measures can be taken, we analyze them. If we can do them, we will do them. There's usually no problem, says Ms. Piuze.
