Girl, 7, dies after hit-and-run in school zone in Montreal's Ville-Marie borough

A 7-year-old girl has died after she was hit by a car Tuesday morning in a school zone in theVille-Marie borough, east of downtown.

According to witnesses, the victim was hit by a car around 8 a.m.near the intersection of Parthenais and de Rouen streets, about 100metres from an elementary school.

Police say the driver of the vehicle drove away immediately, leaving the child seriously injured on the road. Several children and teenagers watched helplessly at the scene.

The girl was rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

Montreal police confirmed her death at around 5:45 p.m. They said a 40-year-old man is being questioned, but there are still no suspects.

Jean-Nicolas Aub, a spokesperson for the CIUSSSduCentre-Sud-de-l'le-de-Montralsaid three nurses and a resident doctor at a nearby health and social services centre known in French as a CLSC brought out medical equipment and provided first aidto the victim while waiting for paramedics.

WATCH|Pedestrians, cyclists say drivers speed through area too often:

Frustrated residents sound off about dangerous drivers

2 years ago

Duration 1:00

Some who frequent the intersection where a 7-year-old girl was hit by a car Tuesday say it was an accident waiting to happen.

"These people are trained to act whenever there are these kinds of situations, and that's exactly what they did," Aub said. "It's important to say thank you for what they did. Of course, they're going to say it's their job, but still it's important to say."

He says psychological support is available for all health personnel that need it.

"Everyone inside the building is affected by [the incident]," he said.

'A brutal reminder'

Franois Desaulniers has lived in the neighbourhood for a decade and is a member of a citizens' group that is pushing to make the area safer for pedestrians.

He says drivers often use de Rouen, one of the streets at the intersection where the collision happened,as a shortcut.

"A lot of drivers do not want to go through or are trying to avoid Sherbrooke Street," Desaulniers said. "There are two schools, there's a park, there are a lot of kids and people are driving fast."

Sophie Mauzerolle, themember of Montreal's executive committee who is in charge of mobility and transportation, is also the city councillor for the district in which the child was hit.

Mauzerolle said the city sends out a team to work with Montreal police and borough officials toevaluate the potential dangers at an intersection whenever there isa deadly collision or one that causes serious injury.

She said the city will implement any recommendations that groupputs forward.

Mauzerolle called the collision a "brutal reminder" of the need for drivers to be careful.

"We all have a responsibility, when we're on the road, to circulateby taking into consideration that there are other users," Mauzerolle said.