Montreal Gazette
QUEBEC - James Castonguay, 22, accused of hit and run in the death of Catherine Blanchemanche, 18, was granted bail yesterday in Valleyfield. Castonguay is charged with leaving the scene of a collision causing death. Blanchemanche was killed Saturday in a parking lot next to the St. Lazare bar she had been with friends.
Montreal Gazette
QUEBEC - A 22-year-old man was charged Monday in a Valleyfield courtroom with one count of leaving the scene of a collision, which caused the death of an 18-year-old CEGEP student.
James Castonguay, a tow-truck driver, was arrested hours after the body of Catherine Blanchemanche was discovered about 3 a.m. Saturday in the parking lot of a grocery store in St. Lazare.
Blanchemanche, a student at CEGEP Ahuntsic, is believed to have been run over shortly after leaving the Chez Maurice bar, which is next to the grocery store.
Investigators arrested Castonguay on Saturday evening after listening to witness accounts of what happened in the parking lot, Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Ronald McInnis said.
Castonguay’s truck has been seized as evidence in the investigation of what appears to have been a hit and run.
When he was arrested, Castonguay said he wasn’t aware he had run over a person in the parking lot, McInnis said.
Blanchemanche’s cellphone was in her hand when her body was discovered.
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9 comments:
Cellphone in her hand and people say they aren't a distraction maybe she would've heard the truck coming and moved out of the way if she wasn't talking on the phone
Blaming the victim is certainly not very gracious. It actually says a lot about you. Why do you feel the need to find a reason for the driver who left the scene? Driving a vehicule comes with responsibilities, that's the bottom line.
While I agreee that chatting on the phone when DRIVING is an obvious issue, I would recommend you don't confuse things here.
The first anonymous comment only proves how a good majority of the driving masses feel about pedestrian traffic.
Here's my opinion. It doesn't matter what the pedestrian is doing. It's our job as drivers to not drive into these people and do what we can to avoid them, especially the ones not paying attention.
Also, the driver left this woman lying on the road like roadkill. This was someone's child. She didn't deserve the fate bestowed upon her and it also hasn't been proven that she was engaged in a conversation at the time.
Many of today's youth casually walk around carrying cellphones. But I guess you didn't notice that because it's apparent you don't notice anything, certainly not pedestrians that a have a right to be in a parking lot and not have to worry about being mowed down in cold blood and left to die alone with no one to comfort them.
Blanchemanche was found lying with her cellular phone in her hand in a spot where tow truck drivers often hang out about 3 a.m.
Gee anonymous, maybe she was trying to call for help. Help that this cowardly, selfish bastard of a driver didn't provide for her.
I cant beleive the crap I'm reading. Did you ever drive a tow truck? Did you ever leave a bar pissed off at your boyfriend and ran out into the rain? What is wrong with this world when everyone needs to JUDGE JUDGE JUDGE. I'm a resident in St-Lazare and I am extremely saddenned by this accident for BOTH parties. How about people put their energies into trying to forgive whatever the circumstances are. There are two people whos lives are ruinned now TWO.
Whoah.
I'm sorry. No one's job or the stresses of their job gives them any god-given right to leave the scene of a crash, especially a fatal one.
I don't care how scared the accused may have been.
This young woman died alone.
There's no justice for her and there never will be.
Guys, get the story straight. The driver backed up over her without seeing her, as she was either sheltering herself under a portion of his flatbed, or she was in very close vicinity of the end of the flatbed. She was also in the general receiving area of the local grocery store; a place where no one would expect anyone to be at 03:00 on a Saturday morning.
Well, you should also get your story straight. He also admitted to the authorities that he thought he might have driven over something but did not stop to check what it was. At the very least, he should have taken the time to check, especially if, as you report, this is place where noone is expected to be. This is also a very important part of "getting the story straight".
Hey everyone...I am a close friend of Catherine and hearing some of your comments of touched me deeply, thank you. And others have disgusted me. There were NOT 2 LIVES LOST The night Cath died...there was only 1. A beautiful, talented, smart and determined young women. James still has his life so please lets not say we have lost both because peut importe...James Castonguay will wake up tomorrow and be able to eat breakfast with his family, our Catherine wont. No one knows what happened that night or why Catherine was near the truck because none of us were there. Please all drivers of any vehicules and especially ones of a larger size, be careful and cautious. It was perfectly normal for a girl to go outside of the bar.... I go to Chez Maurice all the time and stand outside so please dont accuse her of being careless.
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