This boy was killed crossing a highway. His family wants Quebec's school bus rules to change

Nathan Macameau, an eighth grader, was struck by a car while crossing a two-lane highway in northwestern Quebec after stepping off the school bus. The accident occurred on August 27, just steps from his home in the town of Amos, along a rural road with a speed limit of 90 km/h. His aunt, Rose-Marie Paradis, revealed it was his first day taking the bus.

"He was so curious and open to the world," Paradis said. "He believed in making the world better by respecting animals, the environment, and people."

The car that hit 13-year-old Nathan approached from the opposite lane, and it is still unclear whether the driver was speeding. Provincial police confirmed that the bus had its signals on, and the emergency call came through at 4:30 p.m. on Highway 111.

Nathan was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries days later. His family made the decision to donate three of his organs and two heart valves.

In the aftermath of Nathan’s death, Paradis is advocating for changes to school bus policies. She has founded a group, Projet Nathan, to help prevent similar tragedies.

Nathan’s father, Dominique Macameau-Paquette, fully supports Paradis’s efforts, emphasizing the need for school buses to drop off children without requiring them to cross dangerous roads. "If he had gotten off the bus on the right side, this wouldn’t have happened. We need change so no one else goes through this," Macameau-Paquette said.

While Nathan's bus route did pass his home, he chose to get off earlier to save time, as waiting for the bus to loop around would have taken an extra 20 minutes. Paradis argues that students shouldn’t be allowed to make such decisions themselves, especially at 13, when they lack enough road experience. "Parents should be giving the permission," she said.

She also pointed out that other provinces have stricter regulations for where school buses can pick up or drop off students and believes Quebec should follow suit. In the coming weeks, she plans to launch a petition to the National Assembly, advocating for changes to school bus rules, including the installation of cameras on buses to capture violations by drivers.

Paradis said other parents have shared concerns in a public Facebook group, with some reporting that their young children are dropped off on the wrong side of the road.

Marie-Soleil Cloutier, professor at INRS and head of the Pedestrian and Urban Space Laboratory in Montreal, noted that regulations regarding school buses have improved in the past 20 years, leading to fewer collisions involving children. However, she added that fewer drivers seem to follow the rules nowadays, despite the high visibility of school buses.

Provincial police are still investigating the accident, with no arrests made yet.

In a statement, the office of Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault expressed condolences to the affected community, highlighting the importance of road safety. "Our children's safety to and from school is non-negotiable," the statement read. "Road safety is a collective responsibility; we all have a duty to follow the regulations and drive safely for the sake of our children."