Two people died and nine others were injured when an open semi-truck crashed into them in the small town of Amqui, in the Canadian province of Quebec, police said Monday.

The 38-year-old driver initially fled, but later surrendered to authorities; an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the tragedy, said Hélène Saint-Pierre, spokeswoman for the Quebec provincial police (Sûreté du Québec, SQ).

The dead are men aged around 70 and 60, while two of the injured are in a serious condition, according to Mrs. Saint-Pierre.

It is not yet clear whether the driver hit the pedestrians on purpose. Psychologists are rushing to the scene to support people in shock, according to local health services.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter that “his heart goes out to the people of Amqui,” a small town of about 6,000 people, 415 kilometers northeast of Quebec City.

The fatal incident comes a month after a bus driver was charged with murder after he crashed his vehicle into a daycare center in a Montreal suburb, killing two children.

(With information from the Canadian television network CBC)