A Quebec coroner has reiterated the call for improvements to be made on Highway 50 by the province’s Transport Ministry following a head-on collision that occurred late last year. In a recently published report, Coroner Martine Lachance attributed the death of a 71-year-old man from Boisbriand to an accident but highlighted the absence of a physical barrier separating the lanes on the highway.
The fatal crash took place on December 26, 2025, near Brownsburg-Chatham in the western Laurentians. The victim was a passenger in a vehicle traveling west on Highway 50, also known as Autoroute Guy-Lafleur.
According to the coroner’s findings, the driver was speeding at 111 km/h in a 100 km/h zone when she was dazzled by the headlights of an approaching truck. This caused her to lose control of the car, leading to a collision with a van on the eastbound lane after veering across the center line.
The report ruled out weather and road conditions as contributing factors to the accident. Investigations revealed that the pavement was dry, visibility was adequate, and the vehicle had no mechanical issues. The absence of a central median or guardrail was identified as a critical factor that could have prevented the vehicle from entering the oncoming traffic lane.
Previous reports by two coroners earlier in the year highlighted nine other fatalities resulting from accidents on Highway 50, emphasizing the risks associated with its continuous road layout. While some sections of the highway have undergone improvements, Coroner Lachance urged immediate action to enhance safety by installing median guardrails to separate traffic flow in both directions. Additionally, she stressed the importance of expediting planned widening projects to upgrade the road to four lanes to prevent further tragedies.