A 19-year-old was killed when crushed by a float during the Montreal St. Patrick's Day parade.

The tragic accident happened when the young man fell under the wheels of a truck carrying a parade float at the parade, the largest in Canada.

Witnesses say the man was on the back of the 18 wheel truck carrying the float when it stopped and he jumped off. When it restarted he got dragged under the wheels.

Later the truck carrying the Marianopolis College float was parked at the intersection, where a body lay covered by a yellow sheet.

“We are terribly saddened by what happened,” said Gerald Showers, vice-president of the United Irish Societies of Montreal, which organized the parade. “This is a real blow to us and to Montrealers.”

Police said alcohol was definitely a factor in the accident.