Quebec provincial police say they are searching for a group of undocumented migrants after the vehicle they were travelling in crashed with another vehicle and then rolled over near the Canada-U.S. border.
The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) said they received a 911 call at about 4:15 a.m. about the crash that happened near the intersection of Route 202 and Montée Jackson near Hemmingford, Que., just a few kilometres north of the New York state border.
There were between 10 and 12 undocumented migrants inside a seven-passenger SUV when it flipped after colliding with another SUV, SQ spokesperson Stéphane Tremblay told CTV News. The exact number is not known as police gather more evidence.
Between six and eight of them fled on foot and are being sought by the SQ, with help from RCMP officers and a dog handler, Tremblay said.
The driver of the second SUV, a 48-year-old American male citizen, was arrested for impaired driving and will be questioned. There was at least one passenger in his vehicle at the time of the crash.
Four people were sent to hospital for injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
The SQ said the investigation has been handed over to the RCMP, which did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday.
A woman who lives nearby told CTV News that she was at the scene after the crash happened and said everyone involved was conscious. Jocelyn Madore said the people sent to hospital were two women and two men.
While Madore says she has seen many migrants in the area in the past, she has never witnessed an incident like this one.
Part of Route 202 in Hemmingford was closed to traffic as collision investigators analyzed the scene, but it was expected to reopen early Sunday afternoon.
With files from CTV News’ Olivia O’Malley and Swidda Rassy, and The Canadian Press
