Normand Bouchard did not have time to blow out the candles of his 25 years of service at Simard Suspension. The 73-year-old trucker lost his life on July 31 in an accident on Highway 20, in Val-Alain. Her daughter, Anne-Christine Bouchard, keeps the link living by leaving him a message every morning on her vocal box.
“It’s my way of staying close to him,” she says on the phone.
For her, her father never just drives a truck: he lived his passion.
“It was not a job. He had fun. He went to the four corners of America, he always had his habits and his stops. »»
During part of his life, he also held a fishmonger, where he also made deliveries on the road. He had never talked about slowing down.
“It was not one of our discussions that he stops. He deeply loved the business. He was an exceptional and very present man. Besides, we live this mourning together, relatives and business. They are with us. »»
Val-Alain’s drama
On July 31, shortly after midnight, the septuagenaire trucker left Quebec towards Ontario when the accident occurred.
According to the Sûreté du Québec, following an impact with a vehicle, the truck driver would have lost control and finished his race in the central media.
The vehicle involved in the collision deflected towards the left lane, where it hit another car circulating in the same direction.
The driver at the origin of the impact suffered light injuries.
Still according to the SQ, blood samples have been taken to check if its driving capacities could have been altered by drugs. However, no accusation has been made for the moment.
“I try not to think too much about it. I know it will take time. But I also know that, the day we have the conclusions, we will have time to be angry. This bout- Remain painful, ”says Anne-Christine Bouchard.
A present community
Since the accident, the affection marks have flushed. Friends, colleagues and family members support each other.
“It’s comforting, it puts a balm on the penalty. We are so well surrounded, ”says Bouchard.
An exhibition will take place on Friday evening August 29 in the basement of the church of Baie-Saint-Paul. The funeral will be held the next day, followed by burial on the same day.
“You never know when it is the last time we see someone. Two weeks after the accident, we still have difficulty believing in it. »»
