At least six young people were hospitalized after a vehicle drove into a crowd during a major country and western festival in Quebec, Canada, early Saturday morning.
The incident happened around 4:30 a.m. on Sept. 19 at the Festival Western de Saint-Tite, roughly 125 miles northeast of Montreal. Police said six pedestrians were struck by a vehicle driven by a man in his 20s.
The injured included two 18-year-old women and four males between the ages of 17 and 21, according to local reports. Their injuries were described as non-life-threatening.
The driver allegedly fled the area after the collision.
Police later located the suspect’s vehicle in Quebec City and arrested a man in his 20s, according to reporting from the region.
Investigators have not publicly said exactly what led up to the incident.
Authorities were reportedly examining whether there had been some kind of confrontation before the vehicle struck the group, but police had not confirmed that theory. Early reporting also indicated investigators did not believe the incident had been planned in advance.
Alcohol was not believed to be a factor based on the preliminary investigation, according to reports, although police continued questioning the suspect.
The Festival Western de Saint-Tite is one of Quebec’s best-known western-themed events, featuring country music, rodeos and other activities over 10 days. The 2026 festival was scheduled to run from Sept. 11 through Sept. 20, and provincial police had already increased their presence in the community because of the large crowds expected.
Despite the frightening incident, festival organizers said events would continue as planned.
Organizers described what happened as an isolated incident and said their thoughts were with the people who were injured and their families.
The collision stunned people in the small community, with one local worker telling Le Journal de Québec that he had witnessed plenty of unusual situations during the festival over the years but nothing quite like this.
Quebec officials also publicly expressed support for those injured as the investigation continued. Local reporting consistently placed the confirmed number of people struck at six, despite at least one public statement elsewhere referring to seven.
Police have not publicly announced formal charges against the arrested driver in the sources reviewed.
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