A curve mortal being redeveloped

Photo courtesy
The parish priest, Donald Lauzière was nicknamed “the pope’s moto” by the parishioners.

Antoine Lacroix

Wednesday, 12 July 2017 18:50

UPDATE
Wednesday, 12 July 2017 18:50

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A curve that is too steep to have caused the death of a parish priest-rider well-known in the region of Drummondville, concluded the coroner Yvon Garneau, in his report published on Wednesday. Work to secure the place had already been made.

“To know that it is not him who is responsible, and that the curve has already been repaired, it allows you to pass through our grief,” says with relief Marielle Lauzière, the sister of the priest.

“We talk about family, and it was still worth it. […] Losing a brother like that, it is not easy, but know that it will never happen again, it is a balm, ” she continued.

Appreciated

On 4 September last year, Donald Lauzière was travelling on a motorcycle on the rank of the Edge-of-Water in Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, about twenty miles from home.

By initiating ” a bend in a sharp curve “, the parish priest, 79-year-old went off the road, was ejected from his motorcycle and struck a tree.

“A loss of control inevitable has occurred,” says the coroner.

A friend who accompanied him called the rescue, but the septuagenarian has not survived.

Donald Lauzière was well liked and well known in the region of Drummondville. The mayor of the city had even paid tribute on Facebook shortly after the announcement of his death. He was nicknamed “the pope’s moto” by the citizens of the parishes where he served.

The irony of fate, he had decided that it was his last year in a motorcycle due to health problems, ” said his sister.

After an analysis of engineers in October, it has been determined that the curve taken by Mr. Lauzière was not standards-compliant and is too steep.

Signaling

“This posed a real danger to the users of the row. […] The signaling presented some problems such as […] the safe speed suggested in the curve, ” said the coroner, adding that it should have been read 45 km/h instead of 55 km/h.

According to him, the panels were not installed in the right places.

Even before the publication of the report of the coroner, the municipality of Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton has decided to take action to change the configuration of the curve, where occurred the death of Donald Lauzière. The work of approximately $ 400,000 have been completed at the beginning of the month of June.

“An accident too “

“We did not wait. As early as the fall, the signaling was enhanced, and he had to wait until the spring to do the work and make the curve consistent and less dangerous. It is now not as tight as turn “, explains the deputy mayor Patrice Pinard.

“We wanted to prevent other tragedies […] because it is not necessary that it happens to others. An accident is an accident too many “, said Mr. Pinard.