Teen injured after Montreal bus shelter destroyed by multi-vehicle crash

A 17-year-old girl suffered serious leg injuries Sunday when a car careened into the Montreal bus shelter where she was standing.

The collision was so strong that it knocked the shelter off its cement foundation.

Montreal police say the driver of a minibus set off a chain reaction by running a red light at the corner of Dollard Avenue and Salley Street in the borough of LaSalle around 1 p.m.

That minibus hit a car that in turn hit another car, which then plowed through the bus shelter, shattering glass and scattering debris over several metres. 

The teenager remained in hospital Monday, but police say her life is not in danger. One of the drivers injured an arm, but the injury isn't serious.

A specialized team of collision investigators is working to determine what led the minibus driver, a 47-year-old woman, to run the red light.

On Monday morning, commuter Baljinder Kaur said she feels lucky she wasn't in the bus shelter when it was smashed.

She doesn't usually take the bus on the weekends, but she's there every day during the week.

"I'm having goose bumps," she said after hearing what happened. "I'm lucky that, yesterday, I was not here at the same time."

Quebecor workers were on site early Monday morning, cleaning up the debris and replacing the destroyed shelter. The destroyed shelter was just installed last week, crew members said. It had replaced an old STM shelter.

The company installs shelters throughout Quebec to host advertising while providing commuters a bit of protection from the elements.

The company works with Montreal's public transportation agency, installing bus shelters across the island.

Montreal East installed concrete blocks

In Montreal East, concrete blocks have been placed in front of eight shelters to shield those waiting. Robert Coutu, the city's mayor, made the change after a 2017 accident involving his daughter. 

The multi-vehicle collision in 2017 was similar to the one in LaSalle, he told CBC Montreal's Daybreak on Monday.

"There was nothing to stop the car," he said. "The roof collapsed onto her. She was standing up. If she was sitting on the bench, she wouldn't be here today."

He said his daughter is still dealing with the injuries she sustained in the accident, including damage to her hearing. 

After a study conducted by the Montreal East traffic committee, the municipality installed trashcan-sized blocks, which cost about $400 a piece, along Notre-Dame East and Sherbrooke East streets as part of a pilot project.

So far, the mayor said residents are happy with the new installations, even if they aren't beautiful additions to the cityscape.

"People feel safe," he said. "They are not very nice, but they don't look so bad. People remember they are there for their protection."

According to STM spokesperson Philippe Déry, Montreal East is the only municipality that has installed such barriers. He said the STM has no plans to do so elsewhere.