Ile-Bizard woman charged in cyclist death

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

A 32-year old Île-Bizard woman is on trial facing charges of dangerous driving and criminal negligence following the death of a cyclist in Pierrefonds. Irène Dehem was killed after she was struck by a vehicle on May 18, 2021. The mother of three was tended to by other motorists who had stopped to come to her aid.

One of the drivers that witnessed the accident and stopped to help the victim, 51-year old Kathleen Crawford, testified that she found no pulse on the victim shortly after the accident. Crawford and another person who stopped to help the victim were instructed by the 911 telephone responder to move the victim’s body and perform CPR until paramedics arrived.

The driver involved in the collision, Christine Pryde, remained in her vehicle until police arrived. “She told me that she fell asleep at the wheel,” Montreal Police officer Sylvain Carrier testified. Crawford testified that when she went to check on Pryde moments before police arrived she found her crying and seemingly in a state of shock. “Please help her, please help her, she kept saying,” Crawford stated.

According to the testimonies of Officer Carrier and Crawford, Pryde told them both that she was tired and was on her way to Tim Hortons to get an Iced Cappuccino. According to witnesses, the victim was struck by the vehicle that was moving at a reportedly high speed after it swerved into the opposite traffic lane. Dehem was turning the corner as she was riding on l’Anse-à-l’Orme and was almost instantly hit by Pryde’s Hyundai Accent. One witness estimated the speed at 80 kilometres an hour, according to authorities. n

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