MÉLISSA GÉLINAS
LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE
MRC PONTIAC – Two good Samaritans have recently had their vehicles stolen while stopping to help stranded motorists. Although unrelated, both thefts were committed by young men from Montreal.
Incident in Campbell’s Bay
The first incident took place in Campbell’s Bay around 3 am when resident Maurice Morin was out checking road conditions for his family’s plow business. On Highway 148, Maurice noticed a car broken down on the side of the road and stopped to help. Meanwhile, Morin’s grandson, Steve, was following his usual plow route, and saw his grandfather with the stranded driver.
“My grandfather then decided to go to his garage to get the tools needed to change the flat tire,” Steve Morin explained. “I told the young man he could warm up in my truck while I cleared snow at Dean’s Grocer,” he added. “He stayed with me for a few minutes and seemed very polite, respectful, and grateful for the help. He didn’t appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol. He mentioned he was from Laval and was in the area to go snowmobiling with friends.”
However, Steve found the situation a bit odd as the man was heading in the wrong direction for his stated destination. “I just thought he was probably lost,” he said.
When Maurice returned, he realized he needed to go back to the garage for a grinder. During this time, the driver asked if he could accompany him. “Not even 30 minutes later, I found out the young man had stolen my grandfather’s truck,” Steve said.
Maurice reportedly tried to stop the thief but was unsuccessful. He called the police, who found the broken-down vehicle and quickly determined it was also stolen.
The next morning, around 6:30 am, police pursued the suspect on Highway 50 near Lachute, but he managed to escape after colliding with a police vehicle and another car. Continuing his flight, he was killed when he crashed into two more vehicles in Blainville. According to reports, the drivers of the other vehicles sustained only minor injuries.
The investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances leading to the accident.
Incident in Waltham
In Waltham, on the afternoon of February 13, Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers from the MRC Pontiac were alerted to a car that had gone off the road on Highway 148. While a good Samaritan stopped to help, the young man who had crashed took advantage of the situation, quickly getting into the good Samaritan’s car and fleeing eastward. The police were able to get a clear description of the suspect and the stolen vehicle.
They later located the car on Chemin de la Passe in Mansfield, with the suspect standing beside it. Officers arrested the 21-year-old man from Montreal, took him to the SQ station for processing, and then to the hospital for a blood test.
Police also discovered that the vehicle he was driving when he went off the road was stolen and had been reported by the Ontario Provincial Police.
According to SQ information, the suspect appeared at the Campbell’s Bay courthouse. As of now, no details have been released regarding the charges he faces.