No charges will be laid in fatal Coniston collision

No charges will be laid against the driver of a pickup truck that struck and killed a 13-year-old boy on Highway 17 near Coniston on July 19.

The teen died after being hit by a passing pickup truck on Highway 17 east of Coniston near the water treatment plant, the Ontario Provincial Police said.

The 13-year-old has since been identified as Alexandre Guy Lemay of North Bay. He was a passenger in a vehicle that had stopped to let the teen out on the side of the highway.

"He walked into the eastbound lane," said OPP Const. Lucie Sirois. " The driver (of the pickup) tried to avoid the collision, but it was unavoidable."

The OPP investigation found that there was no way for the driver of the truck to avoid hitting Lemay.

"No charges will be laid," Sirois said.

The collision occurred just after 11 a.m. when the teen exited a vehicle on the south shoulder of the highway and was making his way to the eastbound lane when he was hit by the truck. The teen was taken to Health Sciences North with life-threatening injuries and later died.

The OPP closed Highway 17 for about 4.5 hours while the investigation was completed.

In his obituary, Lemay is described as the son of Julie (née Desjardins) and Alain Lemay of North Bay. He is survived by his grandparents Jacques and Therese Desjardins of Hanmer and Andre and Simone Lemay of North Bay.

The obituary describes Lemay as a free spirit with an "infectious smile."

A funeral will be held July 24 at HIllside Funeral Services in North Bay.

Donations can be made to the North Bay and area chapter of Autism Ontario.