An 18-year-old from Laval says his life will never be the same after a paralyzing accident on a bike path in September. Jérémy Deguire said he was cycling north on the A-25 bridge from Montreal to Laval at night, emphasizing the darkness on the bridge and his inability to see the lane shift to the right.
Poorly visible fence on path
“And I didn’t see the fence,” he said in an interview with CTV News. “So I hit the fence and I fell off my bicycle. I lost consciousness for a couple of minutes.”
“There were some people walking across the bridge who found me and came to rescue me,” he said.
Shortly thereafter, he was rushed to hospital where medical personnel induced a coma to stabilize his vertebrae. He also suffered fractures in his face, ribs, and sternum, along with a perforated lung, necessitating intubation.
“Everything was basically broken. It took me a solid three days to fully understand the extent of my injuries… It took me a while to realize I was paralyzed,” he said.
Life changed forever
Deguire, was was studying carpentry with aspirations for a career in construction.
“Most of my dreams, I can’t do them anymore,” he said.
Expressing a need for enhanced safety measures, Deguire advocates for increased signage and lighting on the bike path to prevent others from facing a similar fate. The A-25 bridge, constituting a 7.2-kilometer toll route, is jointly owned and managed by Quebec’s transport ministry and private partners.
Ministry and bridge company weigh in
In response to the incident, the ministry issued a statement expressing sorrow and sympathy, noting its collaboration with Concession A25, the infrastructure manager, and emphasizing the private partner’s responsibility for bridge safety.
The Ministry said, in a statement, “that it is saddened by the event that took place on Sept. 2 and that it sympathizes with the cyclist and his family. As soon as the Ministry became aware of the event, it requested an update from the infrastructure manager, Concession A25.
“The Ministry has confirmed its full cooperation with the Private Partner by participating in follow-up meetings to ensure that the premises are safe and user-friendly for cyclists,” the statement concluded.
A spokesperson for the company that owns the bridge also made a statement. “We are deeply saddened by the young cyclist who was involved in an accident on the multipurpose track. We have already had the opportunity to express our deepest…
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