Quebec coroner resumes public inquiry on heavy truck collisions killing mother, 5-year-old son

The second phase of Quebec's public inquiry into fatal collisions involving heavy trucks began Monday in a Montreal courtroom. The inquiry is headed by coroner Dave Kimpton, and its job is to determine the circumstances and causes of three deaths caused by heavy trucks in the summer of 2025, and to identify broader road safety issues involving heavy trucks and make recommendations.

The provincial auto-insurance board (SAAQ) reports that in 2025, more than a quarter of the 371 traffic-related deaths in Quebec involved at least one heavy vehicle.

Monday's session opened the second phase, which concerns the deaths of Tanya Lalonde and her five-year-old son, Eliott, after a collision between a heavy truck and several vehicles on Aug. 27, 2025, on Highway 30 in Boucherville. The first phase, held in March and April, focused on the death of Madeline J. Darby on Route 235 in Montérégie.

Representing the family of Tanya and Eliott Lalonde at the inquiry are Eliott's grandparents and the parents of Tanya's spouse, Carolyne Florent. The driver of the heavy truck is scheduled to testify on Wednesday.

A lawyer representing four Sûreté du Québec officers asked for a publication ban and a closed-door hearing for one officer, arguing the testimony could jeopardize a possible jury trial involving the truck's driver, even though no charges have been laid against him. A lawyer for several media outlets challenged those requests. Coroner Kimpton will decide on the officers' request.

The inquiry continues into the first week of November.