Laval daycare bus crash

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Laval daycare attack
LocationLaval, Quebec, Canada
DateFebruary 8, 2023 (2023-02-08)
8:30 am EST
Deaths2
Injured6
AccusedPierre Ny St-Amand

On February 8, 2023, a man attacked a daycare in Laval, Quebec, Canada.[1] The suspect crashed a Société de transport de Laval (STL) bus into a daycare, killing two children and injuring six others.[2] The suspect, who is considered to have acted alone,[3] was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder,[4] and reckless driving.[5]

Incident

On the morning of Wednesday 8 February 2023, parents were dropping off their children at the Garderie Éducative de Sainte-Rose daycare on Terrasse Dufferin, a cul-de-sac in Sainte-Rose district of Laval. Buses for the Société de Transport de Laval route 151 line operate regularly on this road, turning around in the roundabout at the end of the road to get to the bus stop near the daycare.[6]

At around 8:30 am EST, witnesses first heard a bus operated by driver Pierre Ny St-Amand rev its engine. The bus turned sharply into the daycare driveway, and headed at 30 or 40 kilometers per hour straight to the part of the building where four- and five-year-olds gather. The bus smashed down the exterior wall of the daycare on impact, and almost brought down parts of the roof.[6]

The driver climbed out of the vehicle after the crash and began to take off his clothes while screaming. Witnesses and parents quickly subdued the man, while others rushed into the building to pull out injured children as chunks of the ceiling fell to the floor. Police and ambulance arrived within minutes. The driver was cuffed and dragged naked and in hysterics to the police car. Witnesses described him as not in his right mind.[6][7][8]

Aftermath

Two boys and two girls were taken to Sainte-Justine children's hospital in Montreal; three others were taken to Cité-de-la-Santé hospital in Laval. Uninjured children were taken to nearby elementary school where police and daycare workers calmed the children. Panicked parents that showed up at the blocked-off crash site were directed towards the school and had to wait two hours as identities were confirmed. Parents of injured children were taken out of the room and informed of their children's status, and the remaining parents told their children were safe.[6]

At noon, police announced that one child was pronounced dead on the scene, while another died in the hospital. The victims were later identified as Jacob Gauthier, aged 4, and Maëva David, aged 5.[9][10][11][3]

Two of four children aged three- to five-years-old taken in by Sainte-Justine Hospital were released the following day. The bus was towed from the scene late in the evening.[12]

A spontaneous memorial with flowers and stuffed animals appeared by the evening.[6] Residents gathered in the evening to console each other at the Sainte-Rose-de-Lima parish church. The following morning, Quebec Premier François Legault and leaders of provincial opposition parties laid flowers and expressed condolences at the scene. A moment of silence was observed at the provincial legislature in Quebec City. Daycares all over Quebec flew white flags in solidarity with the crash victims.[12] In the evening, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Laval mayor Stéphane Boyer paid their respects at the vigil with dozens of people gathered in front of the church.[13]

Accused

Backround

The bus driver was identified as 51-year old Pierre Ny St-Amand. Born in Cambodia, he was adopted as an orphan in the aftermath of the Cambodian genocide by a Québécois family originally from New Brunswick. He grew up in Sept-Îles, in the Côte-Nord region.[14] He had worked for the STL for 10 years and had no previous criminal convictions.[8] The Quebec association representing private daycares confirmed that he had no link to the daycare.[6] According to health authorities, Saint-Amand was not on a waiting list for mental health services.[12]

Legal proceedings

St-Amand was arrested on the scene and was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of aggravated assault, and four counts of assault with a weapon causing bodily harm.[3][5]

Police cuffed and arrested the accused on arrival, dragging him naked to the police car. Witnesses said St-Amand was screaming unintelligibly with his eyes bulging, and that he "wasn’t in his right mind" and "was in a different world".[12] He was taken to Sacré-Coeur Hospital in Montreal to treat his injuries.

In the evening, St-Amand appeared before a judge from his hospital bed via videoconference under police supervision, refusing to speak. He was ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation.[12] St-Amand allegedly hit a police officer during the hearing.[15]

On 17 February 2023, Quebec Superior Court Justice Carol Richer ordered another psychiatric evaluation by the Philippe-Pinel institute to see if the accused could understand the proceedings and was fit to stand trial. St-Amand appeared disheveled at the Laval courthouse, accompanied by four special constables who held down his arms during proceedings. His defense lawyer, Julien Lespérance Hudon, claimed that he was only occasionally able to speak with his client as he would lapse into an incommunicative state.[16]

On 24 February 2023, the accused was found fit to stand trial.[17] St-Amand was much more alert and responsive than in the previous hearing.[18] However, while both the prosecution and defense agreed that the psychiatric report indicated that St-Amand was able to understand the proceedings, they also noted evidence in the report justifying another psychiatric evaluation to determine if he suffered a mental disorder at the at the time of the crash.[19] Judge Marc-Andre Dagenais ordered a second psychiatric evaluation to determine if the accused was criminally responsible at the time of the crash and ordered the psychiatric report sealed. The next court date was set for March 28.

References

  1. ^ "Two children dead, 6 others seriously injured after city bus crashes into a daycare north of Montreal | The Star". Toronto Star. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  2. ^ "Two children dead after city bus crashes into Quebec daycare, driver charged". National Post. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  3. ^ a b c Caruso-Moro, Luca. "2 children dead, 6 injured after city bus crashes into daycare in Montreal suburb Laval, driver arrested". CTV News. Retrieved 2023-02-08.
  4. ^ "CityNews". montreal.citynews.ca. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  5. ^ a b Blais, Morgan Lowrie, Stephane (2023-02-08). "Driver charged with homicide after two children killed when bus crashed into Quebec daycare". Canada's National Observer. Retrieved 2023-02-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ a b c d e f Lowrie, Morgan (11 February 2023). "Witnesses describe how the Quebec daycare bus crash unfolded, moment by moment". CTV News Montreal. Montreal. Archived from the original on 11 February 2023. Retrieved 2023-02-24.
  7. ^ Lapierre, Matthew (2023-02-09). "Questions swirl after Laval, Que. bus crash. Here's what we know so far". CBC. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  8. ^ a b "Quebec bus driver 'stripped naked' after daycare crash that killed two kids – live". The Independent. 2023-02-09. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  9. ^ "Jacob Gauthier avis de décès - Rosemère, QC". Dignity Memorial (in French). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  10. ^ "Drame de Laval: Lettre des parents de Maëva David". La Presse (in Canadian French). 2023-02-13. Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  11. ^ Wood, Nancy (February 13, 2023). "2nd victim of Laval daycare crash remembered as 'ray of sunshine' by her family". CBC.ca. Retrieved 15 February 2023.
  12. ^ a b c d e Caruso-Moro, Luca (9 February 2023). "White flags, stuffed animals mark deadly bus crash site at Laval daycare, premier offers condolences". CTV News Montreal. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  13. ^ Lofaro, Joe (9 February 2023). "'It's unimaginable': Trudeau meets with grieving families at Laval vigil". CTV News Montreal. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  14. ^ Dussault, Lila; Ferah, Mayssa (2023-02-09). "Drame à Laval: Le voisinage sous le choc". La Presse (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2023-02-13.
  15. ^ "Tragédie à Laval: le suspect frappe un policier lors de sa comparution". TVA Nouvelles. Retrieved 2023-02-15.
  16. ^ Lapierre, Matthew (17 February 2023). "Bus driver accused of intentionally crashing into Laval, Que., daycare will undergo psychiatric evaluation". CBC News. Archived from the original on 17 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  17. ^ Lapierre, Mathew (24 February 2023). "Bus driver who crashed into Laval, Que., daycare found fit to stand trial". Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  18. ^ Laframboise, Kalina; Sargeant, Timothy (24 February 2023). "Laval bus driver charged in fatal daycare crash found fit to stand trial". Global News. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  19. ^ Rowe, Daniel J. (24 February 2023). "Laval bus driver deemed fit to stand trial, to undergo another psych exam". Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
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