Motorists unharmed after avalanche rips across Quebec highway

Lisa Bond had just pulled out her phone to film a view of the mountains near Mont-Saint-Pierre Que., when snow started rolling toward her car.

Within a few seconds, she says her vehicle on Highway 132 was almost encased.

"My focus was not on the avalanche, but my boyfriend saw it coming," said Bond. "And then [the] next thing you know … we were just being buried by the snow."

Provincial police say three people were climbing near the site of the avalanche, but there were no injuries. A special avalanche warning has been issued by Avalanche Quebec for many sections of the northern shore of the Haute-Gaspésie region.

Police say they were notified of the incident around 12:45 p.m. Fire, ambulance and police services were quickly dispatched to the scene, located over 500 kilometres from Quebec City.

Bond was on her way home to Gaspé, Que., from a vacation and was among the dozens of motorists who were forced to seek shelter this week when Highway 20 closed between Rivière-du-Loup and Grand-Métis because of snowstorms.

Following the avalanche, Bond says she was helped by another driver within a few minutes and is currently on her way back home.

Delivery driver Maxime Ouellet had just started to turn a corner with two vehicles in front of him when he saw the snow roll down the slope and engulf a truck.

"The truck was caught between the snow and the guardrail. We managed to get it out," said Ouellet.

Around 70 centimetres of snow fell on the Gaspé coast between Sunday evening and Tuesday afternoon. Provincial police say the snow from the avalanche has been cleared off Highway 132 and the road is reopened.