18 year old hockey player Isaac Larivée killed in hit and run accident

The hockey community in Quebec is reeling after a devastating loss that no one saw coming. What should have been a routine Friday bike ride to class turned into an unimaginable tragedy, and now an entire neighbourhood, a college campus, and a Junior AAA hockey family are left picking up the pieces.

Isaac Larivée, just 18 years old and a player with the Braves de Ahuntsic, was fatally struck while cycling near his school, Collège Ahuntsic, in Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough. The collision occurred around midday on Friday at the intersection of Jeanne-Mance Street and Henri-Bourassa Boulevard West. The vehicle that hit him was reportedly travelling at high speed, allegedly fleeing from provincial police who had tried to pull it over for a traffic violation. Isaac was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver abandoned the vehicle, which turned out to be stolen, and fled on foot. As of Monday, that person had not been apprehended.

A Community Left Shattered

A makeshift memorial quickly appeared at the crash site, with hockey sticks propped up among flowers and handwritten notes addressed to Isaac. Friends and teammates remembered him as someone who was always smiling, welcoming to everyone, and full of promise. The Quebec Junior AAA hockey community has been left mourning one of its brightest young members.

At Collège Ahuntsic, the mood was heavy. First-year student Jason Madaeros, who didn't know Isaac personally, said the news still hit him hard. He noted that he rides his own bike to school during the summer months, and the reality that it could have been anyone shook him deeply. Other students expressed disbelief that someone could strike a person and simply drive away.

Neighbourhood resident Florence Du Sablon visited the memorial to pay her respects and spoke about how the entire area has been rocked by the loss. She described it as an incredibly sad event, noting that Isaac was a young person just beginning his life and heading to class like any other day. Paul Vaillancourt, who lives on Jeanne-Mance Street and was home when the crash happened, called the situation "a catastrophe" and extended his sympathies to the Larivée family.

Calls for Safer Streets

Both Montreal police and Quebec's independent police oversight body, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI), have launched investigations. The BEI is specifically examining the circumstances leading up to the crash, including the attempted traffic stop by an unmarked Sûreté du Québec patrol car and the subsequent pursuit that ended in Isaac's death.

Residents have long had concerns about the intersection where the collision took place. Jeanne-Mance is a one-way street heading south, and when it meets Henri-Bourassa Boulevard, drivers are required to turn right. But locals say many motorists blow straight through, and there are no traffic lights or physical barriers to stop them. Vaillancourt pointed out that a median or some other structure should be in place to prevent vehicles from ignoring the mandatory turn.

Magali Bebronne, director of programs at Vélo Québec, said the tragedy highlights the need for streets that enforce their own rules through physical design rather than relying solely on signage. She advocated for traffic-calming measures and even pointed to European jurisdictions that require smart speed management systems in all new vehicles. "A vehicle in the hands of the wrong person can really become a weapon," she said. A City of Montreal spokesperson offered condolences and confirmed that a fatal collision response team would be visiting the site to analyze what changes might be needed, though any decisions would wait until the police investigation wraps up.

Isaac Larivée should be suiting up for his next game, heading to his next class, living the life of an 18-year-old with everything ahead of him. Instead, the hockey world is left with sticks at a memorial and a community demanding answers. The driver remains at large, and the people who loved Isaac are left waiting for justice that cannot undo what was lost.