A Canadian man who died after his RV careened down a hill, went airborne and crashed onto the back of a ferry Monday is being hailed as a hero for doing everything he could in his last moments to prevent a worse outcome.
The incident happened at a ferry terminal in Tadoussac, a small village in northern Quebec.
The victim, who police have identified as 40-year-old Eric Belac, lost control of his RV as it sped down a steep hill by the ferry terminal, CBC News reported. The vehicle sped over a raised loading ramp and slammed into the back of a departing ferry, the report said.
Security footage shows ferry passengers scattering after the moment of impact.
Belac and his passenger were taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead, CBC News reported. A 40-year-old woman was critically injured, the report said.
Witnesses on land told Radio-Canada that Belac did everything he could to warn people around him as the RV sped down the hill, by avoiding cars and honking at pedestrians.
"He was trying to stop by swerving into the metal gates on the side of the road," said one pedestrian who witnessed the crash.
Authorities are blaming the accident on mechanical issues with the RV, the Canadian Press reported.