Driver involved in Quebec City car crash missed group of schoolchildren 'by seconds'

School crossing guard Denis Royer wasstandingin the middle of the roadonCharestBoulevard at Victoria Streetin Quebec City Wednesday over the noon hour, when he saw "a grey blur" speed past him.

"A split second" before, Royer said, he had been holding up his stop sign to helpagroup of school children safely cross the road.

"I still wonder how none of the children waskilled," said Royer on Thursday morning, back on the job in his usual spot, despitefeeling "on edge."

The vehicle, later described as a grey SUV, went on tocrash through the window of a ground-floor cafeteria ina building three blocks further east on CharestBoulevard, injuring 12 people three of them seriously.

Royer said he heard the vehicleaccelerate before he actually saw itand told a young boy who had just reached the sidewalk to run.

The SUV"went by so quickly I thought to myself, 'He's going to kill someone,'" said Royer.

Another eyewitness, Alexandra Maude-Grenier, said she saw the SUV"skim past" Royer.

She was stopped in her car on Victoria Street, waiting for the light to turn green to turn onto CharestBoulevard.

"The pedestrians had just put their feeton the sidewalk when the SUVsped past,"she told Radio-Canada, saying she, too, just missed being in the way of the careening vehicle.

"Five seconds before it was them. Five seconds later, [my car] would have turned ontoCharest."

Both Royerand Maude-Greniersaid the driveravoidedcarsstopped forthe red light by veering into the opposite lanes.

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"He was swerving back and forthand got back in his lane before crossing toward the building," said Maude-Grenier, who then saw "a cloud of dust" the moment when the car crashed into the buildingat the corner of Charest and Langelier boulevards.

"I was convinced there were people who had been killed," she said.

3 people seriously injured

The 47-year-old driver is among 12 people who were brought to hospital following the crash.

Centre hospitalier universitaire de Qubec confirmed Thursday nine people with minor injuries havebeen released. Three others are remain in hospital.

Quebec City police confirmed he was questioned at the scene on Wednesday.

Policehave ruled out impaired driving as a possible cause but are still investigating whether the driver may havebeenill. There's no decision yet as to whethercriminal charges will be laid.

In the meantime, the man's driver's licence remains valid.