Accident on D’Anjou Boulevard : An entire community shaken

The news of Matthew Lamarre’s tragic death on April 21 has shaken the entire community of Châteauguay. A chair, several bouquets of flowers and his famous shopping cart have been fashioned into a memorial in front of the Super C grocery store. A picture of him has been placed near the cash at the Tim Hortons he frequented and other bouquets have been left on the bench by l’Aubainerie.

Translation Amanda Bennett

Matthew was fatally struck by a car on d’Anjou Boulevard early Monday morning. Jonathan Allard, who often starts his day with a Tim Hortons coffee, saw the tragedy unfold before his own eyes. “The guy was accelerating at full tilt from Saint-Joseph,” he recalled. The vehicle struck Mr. Lamarre, a streetlamp and cars that were parked in the mall’s parking lot.

“He was just beside the light, waiting at the edge of the street to cross over and come get his coffee,” Mr. Allard explained. He was the one who made the call to the emergency services that quickly made it to the scene of the accident.  

A Regular at Tim Hortons

Like many of the regulars at Tim Hortons, Jonathan Allard knew Matthew Lamarre from seeing him at the restaurant. “We spoke every morning. He was a good guy. He never bothered anyone,” he confided.

(Photo : Le Soleil -Valérie Lessard)

Alain Thibeault was one of Matthew’s good friends. That morning, Mr. Thibeault was at the Buzzfit gym, mere metres from the tragedy. “I noticed that an accident had occurred. I didn’t really want to look too closely. When I crossed over to Tim Hortons, I said hello to people as I usually do and I was told that it was Matthew,” he recounted to the newspaper, sitting in the restaurant booth he used to share with his late friend.

Alain Thibeault. (Photo : Le Soleil - Valérie Lessard)

Mr. Lamarre had been living on the street for several years; many said that was by choice. “He didn’t accept the help we offered him. He wanted a specific apartment on Maple and nothing else,” explained Alain Thibeault. Over cups of coffee, he developed a friendship with the man who took the time to listen and understand him. “We spent Christmas together. I invited him to my home. He would come watch the Canadiens play at my house.” Mr. Thibeault described Matthew Lamarre as a very intelligent person who felt like he was different.

A Huge Heart

The gentleman’s presence along his D’Anjou Boulevard neighbourhood touched the lives of many over the years. It is evident by the hundreds of messages that have been posted online since his passing.

 “He was easy to talk to. We might have thought we were helping him by stopping to chat, but it was actually him that was helping us. He had a beautiful outlook on life.” -Maryse Leclaire

Many citizens spoke of having offered him food or money over the years. He often politely declined, emphasizing that he didn’t need anything.  

Claude Bergeron and his friends would also cross paths with Matthew at Tim Hortons and only had good things to say about him. “He was an exceptional human being. He didn’t have an unkind bone is his body,” said Mr. Bergeron who spent the day of the accident in that neighbourhood. “I’d see men and women come here with tears in their eyes. It’s amazing how much people loved him,” he went on.  

When Le Soleil newspaper went to the memorial on April 24, Chantal and her daughter Clover had just dropped off a bouquet of flowers. They didn’t know Matthew personally, but they saw him and said hello once in a while, so they wanted to pay their respects.

Still Under Investigation

The circumstances surrounding this tragedy are still under investigation by the Châteauguay Police Department. “Nothing is being ruled out at the moment,” said Erika Grondin, Media relations officer for the Police Department. According to Officer Grondin, several details still need to be verified. The driver of the vehicle involved sustained injuries in the accident, but is not in critical condition.  Coroner Donald Nicole will also be investigating the death of Mr. Lamarre.