The dangerous location is the main cause of the quad bike accident that killed former Imavision CEO Pierre Paquet in Les Éboulements in Charlevoix in 2023.
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The forensic pathologist Dr. Jean-Marc Picard published his report in the last few days. We learn that Mr. Paquet and a friend (photographer Marc Dussault) went mountain biking on May 30th at around 6:30 p.m. The passenger survived but suffered significant injuries.
Mr. Paquet “said he wanted to go to the river for the first time to admire the beauty of the region.” Unfortunately, the hike went wrong.
On the way, they noticed that the road was steep. Nevertheless, they reached their destination. After a few minutes of rest, they started back and had no choice but to return the same way.
steep slope
“Almost at the top of the steep slope, Mr. Paquet turns slightly to the right to avoid a difference in height on the route and the path gives way. “The ATV flipped to the right and overturned several times,” we read in the report.
At the foot of the cliff, Mr. Paquet was unconscious. His passenger barely managed to remove his helmet and belt, but Mr Paquet remained trapped under the plane.
The victim briefly regained consciousness while waiting for first responders to arrive and contacted them via a cell phone, but the driver died in the meantime.
“At the scene of the accident, the police found the helmets of the two occupants. They note that the slope of the cliff, about 100 m, is so steep and steep that the climb on foot requires the use of a rope,” it said.
Forbidden path
According to the coroner, Mr. Paquet died from bilateral rib polytrauma, which resulted in anterior chest depression and significant intrathoracic bleeding (hemothorax). It is a violent accidental death.
Toxicological analyzes revealed no ethanol in the blood and did not indicate the presence of drugs. Mechanical inspection of the vehicle revealed nothing unusual.
The investigation report also states that the ATV was traveling on a hiking trail that had prominent signs indicating the area's dangerousness. The hiking trail has been closed to mountain bikers for safety reasons for ten years. For the investigator, the dangerous nature of the terrain is the only cause of the accident.
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