‘It is unthinkable’

Three young children killed while riding in tractor shovel

MONTREAL — Three children under the age of five were killed Wednesday evening when something happened to the tractor they were riding that caused it to suddenly eject 10 people who were seated in its large shovel.

The tragedy occurred in Notre-dame-de-stanbridge, a rural village 65 kilometres south of Montreal with a population of more than 600. It is part of the Brome-missisquoi Regional County Municipality.

Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Ingrid Asselin said that six children and four adults were in the shovel of the tractor as it rode along Rang Ste. Anne, a public road surrounded by farms, when something happened that caused all of them to be ejected from it shortly after 7 p.m.

The oldest child inside the shovel was 6 and the three children who survived were left badly injured. Two of the adults suffered injuries that left them in critical condition and their lives are still in danger,

Asselin said Thursday morning.

She also said the 38-yearold man who was driving the tractor was arrested and he might be charged by telephone from the Granby courthouse on Thursday. Asselin said the man might be charged with criminal negligence but added that the SQ has not ruled out the possibility that alcohol was involved.

Asselin said experts in accident reconstruction were sent to Notre-dame-de-stanbridge Wednesday night in an effort to find out what happened. The tractor was seized and will be inspected to determine if something mechanical caused the tragedy. Some media reported that a second vehicle was involved but Asselin said that is not the case.

Daniel Tétreault, the mayor of Notre-dame-de-stanbrdge, told Radio Canada that he could hear sirens ringing out in the small village Wednesday night.

“(To learn) that it was children under the age of five — it is unthinkable,” the mayor said.