Residents near Laurendeau Street and Woodland Avenue are in shock after an eight-year-old boy died from his injuries after being struck by a car in Ville-Émard.

Montreal police got a call about child who was hit by a car around 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday. When they arrived, they found the boy laying on the street.

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The boy was rushed to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries early Thursday morning.

“Just heartbreak,” says Susan Shattuck, who lives not far from where the collision happened. “I’m a parent and I can’t imagine what everyone is feeling — the parent, the family and the person who caused the accident.”

“It’s just a terrible, terrible thing.”

Police say the child was attempting to cross Laurendeau from east to west.  A car, driven by a 56-year-old woman and moving southbound on the same street, struck the child.

The collision happened near a school and a park in a residential area. Some residents say they are surprised that this would happen in what is a generally considered to be a safe neighbourhood.

“We’ve got a speed limit of 30 kilometres an hour everywhere,” René Jones told Global News. “They put speed bumps so I’m really surprised.”

Police don’t believe speed was a factor and the collision happened only a few feet away from a stop sign.

Jones says drivers must be extra careful in residential neighbourhoods, especially when there are lots of kids around. He had a close call a few years ago.

“I was driving very, very slowly near a big park in the neighbourhood and I just missed a kid coming from a driveway,” he said. “I’m glad nothing happened to the kid — I didn’t want that on my conscience.”

Police are investigating. They say charges against the driver are unlikely.

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