Cyclist, 18, dies after colliding with SUV making illegal U-turn on Mount Royal

The death of an 18-year-old cyclist, who wasriding on one of the Montreal area's most popular training routes, has left teammates in the Laval cycling club he belonged to devastated.

The incident happened Wednesday on Camillien-Houde Way, on the descent between the lookout and Cte-Ste-CatherineRoad.

Clment Ouimetwas coming down the mountain just south of the belvederelookouton Camillien-Houdewhen an SUV travelling ahead of him suddenly made an illegal U-turn.

Hewas unable to stop and hit the vehicle.The 59-year-old SUV driver was unhurt.

Ouimetsuffered a head injury and was rushed to hospital, where he died late Wednesdaynight, police said.

Ouimetwas part of theEspoirs Laval-Primeau Vlo cycling club.

One teammate,douard Beaudoin, posted on the group's Facebookpage, saying he was "devastated, just thinking that oneof my teammates died on his bike."

He said that the Camillien-Houdebike path was one of the young man's favourite spots to cycle

"Knowing that Clment died doing what he loves, it completely destroys me. Noone should meet their deathpracticing theirfavourite sport."

Can the route be made safer?

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre offered his condolences to Ouimet's family Thursday morning.

"A death is one too many. An accident is one too many.And we have to take care of that," he said.

Coderre saidhe's putting together a working group to analyze the area to see if anything can be done to make Camillien-Houdesafer.

Last night, Plateau borough Mayor LucFerrandezposted about the incident onFacebook, saying it could have been prevented but for the city's "inaction."

"Everyone knowstheCteSte-CatherineandCamillien-Houdeintersections are dangerous," he wrote.

Ferrandezsuggested thatparts of the roadbe blocked off to all vehicular traffic except for buses and bikes, compelling other motorists to take alternateroutes.

"It's worth noting that more than 80 per cent of drivers who use the Mount Royal road (in fact, nearly 100 per cent during peak hours) aren't going tothe park. They're simply looking for a shortcut."

Cyclists are planning a memorial ride for OuimetFriday, starting at 3 p.m.

Riders are invited to meet at the intersection of Mont-Royal and Parc avenues, where they'll ride up tothe parking lot at Beaver Lake accompanied by a police escort.

'We're really shaken'

Camillien-HoudeWay is one of the most popular training routes in Montreal for serious cyclists.

Magali Bebronne ofVlo Qubecsaid Ouimetwas well known inthe city's cycling community. His parents used to workwithVloQubec.

"We're really shaken this morning that this has happened to such a young person, and we're personally touched because we also knew him," Bebronne told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

She said the incident shows "how terrible the consequences can be" when motorists carry out illegal manoeuvres on the road.

"U-turns are illegal at that point, and there's a reason they're illegal: it's because they're risky," Bebronne said.

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Drivers should exercise caution and check their blind spots for cyclists and pedestrians, she said.

"We need to be better aware of each other if we want to avoid these kinds of crashes and fatalities," Bebronne said.