A Quebec coroner has once more appealed to the Transport Ministry of the province to enhance safety measures on Highway 50 after a head-on crash occurred late last year.
In a recently published report, Coroner Martine Lachance concluded that the death of a 71-year-old man from Boisbriand was accidental but attributed it to the absence of a physical barrier between the lanes on the highway. The incident took place on the afternoon of December 26, 2025, near Brownsburg-Chatham in the western Laurentians.
The deceased was a passenger in a vehicle heading west on Highway 50, also known as Autoroute Guy-Lafleur. The report revealed that the driver was traveling at 111 km/h in a 100 km/h zone when she was dazzled by the headlights of an approaching truck.
As a result, she lost control of the car, hit the right-side guardrail, crossed into the eastbound lane, and was struck on the passenger side by a van. Weather and road conditions were not deemed as contributing factors to the collision, with dry pavement and adequate visibility reported, and no mechanical issues found with the vehicle during police inspections.
The absence of a central median or guardrail was identified as a critical factor that could have prevented the vehicle from veering into oncoming traffic, according to the coroner’s assessment.
Regarding safety concerns on the highway, earlier this year, two coroners highlighted nine other fatalities resulting from accidents on Highway 50, emphasizing the risks associated with its continuous road layout. While improvements have been implemented on certain sections of the highway, Lachance’s report emphasized the urgent need for the installation of median guardrails to separate eastbound and westbound traffic.
Furthermore, the coroner recommended expediting planned widening projects to transform the road into a four-lane highway. It was stressed that these actions are essential to avoid future severe injuries and fatalities on the highway.