Accused in deadly crash in Amqui, Que., appeared in court, now charged with murder

The man who was arrested following last month's deadly pickup truck crash in Amqui, Que., is now facing a slew of new charges, including three counts of first-degree murder.

On Tuesday, Steeve Gagnon was also charged with nine counts of attempted murder.

Police say Gagnon intentionally drove a pickup truck into a group of pedestrians on March 13. Initially, Gagnon was charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death.

Gagnon appeared in court on Wednesday morning. The judge summarized the charges and the Crown said they are still gathering evidence for the case.

Three people — 41-year-old Simon-Guillaume Bourget, 65-year-old Gérald Charest, and 73-year-old Jean Lafrenière  — died following the crash.

Several others were injured.

Gagnon's defence lawyer, Hugo Caissy, would not say if his client would undergo a psychological evaluation.

"We are still waiting for the police to complete their investigation, so they can communicate the evidence before we study it and see if first there are elements that allow for him to be released from custody and, second, to determine the length of the investigation," Caissy told reporters. 

The Crown prosecutor, Simon Blanchette, said the investigation is progressing.

"The police invested a lot of time and resources into the investigation. So it's not done, but it's moving forward," said Blanchette.

Gagnon is expected back in court June 20.