By
Montreal Gazette
August 5, 2026 at 10:13 a.m.
Last Updated: August 6, 2026 at 8:44 a.m.
Two people are dead after a vehicle crashed into a Laval gym early Wednesday, following what police say was an unsuccessful attempt to pull over the vehicle for a traffic code violation
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, Laval police spokesperson Nicolas Mongeau said, while the two passengers, both age 19, were taken to a hospital. One passenger died, while the other remains in critical condition
Police patrollers in Laval’s Pont-m. for a traffic code violation, Mongeau said
After police turned on their sirens, the vehicle accelerated to flee the attempted interception, at which point Mongeau said officers decided against a pursuit
Police officers then “saw the vehicle hit the building hard,” the spokesperson said, identifying the crash site as the Atlantis Gym on des Laurentides Blvd
At the scene of the collision later Wednesday morning, the car could be seen split into halves, with one half in front of the gym and the other at the corner of des Laurentides Blvd. and Renaud St. A lamppost had fallen and was lying across the street
According to an investigator who didn’t share his name, the vehicle struck the lamppost before colliding with the corner of the building and splitting in half
Paramedics were alerted to the crash at 1:21 a.m. and took both passengers to a hospital in critical condition, Urgences-santé spokesperson James-Anthony Roy said
One passenger, a woman, died in the hospital, Mongeau said, while the other, a man, remained in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon. Police have yet to identify the driver who died, Mongeau said
Police alerted the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes — Quebec’s police watchdog — to the incident, the organization confirmed to The Gazette
The BEI, which investigates instances of deaths and serious injuries after police interventions, said in a statement that it had opted not to take on the file, meaning Laval police will retain control of the investigation
“The BEI considers that the legal conditions and criteria are not met to give it jurisdiction” over the investigation, spokesperson Camille Ferrer said
As of 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, des Laurentides Blvd. had reopened southbound but remained closed northbound near the crash scene
