Police in the Outaouais said 2011 was the deadliest year ever on their roads, with 16 deaths in ten crashes.

MRC des Collines spokesperson Martin Fournel said 12 lives were lost by irresponsible behaviour like speeding, impaired driving, illegal passing and driving in poor conditions.

There was a fatal crash every month except May, August and September.

Police said those crashes and their causes were:

  • Jan. 18 when 96-year-old Irene Hebert of Cantley couldn't stop her vehicle at the intersection of chemin de la La Peche and Highway 307 because of the weather.
  • Feb. 18 when 66-year-old Gisele Carrier of Gatineau didn't yield the right-of-way at chemin Denis and Highway 307.
  • March 10 when a couple, both age 69, died in a head-on crash that came from poor weather and tire conditions.
  • April 16 when a suspected drunk driver swerved into the lane of 19-year-old Anthony McColl of Gatineau, killing both.
  • June 4 when a 40-year-old female lost control of her vehicle on Scott Road in Chelsea, with speed and alcohol suspected as the cause.
  • June 6 when a bear was hit by a vehicle and sent through the windshield of an oncoming car, killing the 25-year-old driver from Ottawa and 40-year-old Steven Leon of Gatineau in the back seat.
  • July 19 when 77-year-old Lawrence Morin fell asleep and rear-ended a recycling truck in L'Ange Gardien.
  • Oct. 7 when 18-year-old Nicholas Guenette of Chelsea lost control of his car and swerved into a pickup truck on chemin Notch, killing him and 17-year-old Marc-Etienne Fortin.
  • Nov. 6 when a 35-year-old man skidded his vehicle on black ice and fell into a ravine on Highway 105 in Chelsea.
  • Dec. 20 when 51-year-old John Robinson tried an illegal pass on Highway 148 wast of Quyon when he hit a car driven by 51-year-old Kevin Black, killing him and his four-year-old son James.

Fournel said there were three other deaths from driving all-terrain vehicles in their region.