Driver arrested after 61-year-old pedestrian hit by car

A pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle on in Laval on the evening of Wednesday Sept. 8 and police said the driver could face criminal charges.

The 61-year-old victim was hit at around 10:30 p.m. on des Rossignols Boulevard, near Dagenais Boulevard and was declared dead on the scene.

The motorist was arrested and provided officers with a blood sample. Accident analyst specialists with the LPD were on scene to investigate shortly after it happened.

Hip-hop festival cancelled following police concerns

A hip-hop music festival that was scheduled to take place from Sept. 16 to 19 in Laval was cancelled after police said they were concerned about security at the event.

In a message on Facebook, organizers said the digital lab and music festival had been cancelled “in conformity with a directive from Laval public security because of recent events.”

“While this decision deeply saddens the LVL UP team, the health and safety of our fans, the artists, partners and employees are at the heart of the organization’s concerns and cannot be placed at risk.”

Laval police inspector Jean-François Rousselle told a Montreal daily that the decision was made after the LPD received information about criminals and street gangs possibly attending and event where some of the performing are known through their music to glorify the use of firearms.

The LPD says it has already dealt with 32 firearms and shooting incidents this year and has reached the record set last year, with three months to go before the year is over.

Rousselle said that the situation currently is “very tense between gangs,” while adding that the situation is more than the LPD is prepared to handle.

The event’s promoters said that those who had already purchased tickets would be contacted and refunded what they paid.

He said scheduled artists would also be paid.

In the meantime, the event promoters said they would honour a pledge to made a donation to the Fondation du Centre jeunesse de Laval.