A Quebec truck driver involved in a collision that killed a mother and her two children is facing an extradition request from American authorities, whose investigation reveals he was playing a game minutes before the accident opened on a tablet.
“The crash threw the crashed car about 500 feet. “The rear passengers, a 10-year-old boy, a 14-year-old girl and a 47-year-old woman, were pronounced dead at the scene of the accident,” New York State Police told the Journal after Luc the White was arrested in Quebec.
Leblanc, 65, is a trucker from Salaberry-de-Valleyfield who was driving a Volvo semi-trailer near the city of Ulster in August 2020. However, when a traffic jam formed in front of him, he had neither time to brake nor did he deviate from his path, according to American authorities.
Also hurt
He crashed into a Honda Accord carrying a family, killing Zulika Salim and her children Justin and Chelsea Gayapersad and injuring two young adults.
The impact was so violent that a second car was hit and two other occupants were injured.
“A five-year-old child was on board but was not injured,” New York State Police said.
Leblanc was arrested immediately and had cooperated with the police. He was later released pending the results of the investigation.
“I immediately notified my employer, spoke to the police, I took a test to check if I had taken drugs,” Leblanc told the Montreal court last week, saying he suffered post-traumatic shock to prevent this from taking up his job as a truck driver again.
He then received a speeding ticket.
He risks a lot
However, three years later, the police investigation was concluded and a US prosecutor filed charges of dangerous driving resulting in death. Because according to the authorities, a few minutes before the tragedy, he used a tablet that his employer had made available to him.
He faces 15 years in prison in the United States, the Quebec court was told after his arrest last week.
“The collision occurred solely due to Mr. Leblanc’s negligence,” says a civil lawsuit filed by an American insurance company against the defendant.
Leblanc, who Me Gaétan Bourassa said in court did not have a driving license, was eventually released on $20,000 bail. Pending further extradition proceedings, he is barred from leaving Quebec or driving a truck.
A hearing is scheduled to take place later in Montreal.
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