The students of the Paul-Émile Victor high school in Champagnole entered class with heavy hearts this Thursday morning, the day after the death of four of their comrades. “We are all in shock to have heard the news. Some only found out this morning, others last night, but it’s been a huge upheaval for everyone here.“, confides a high school student to TF1 in the report above. “I knew one of the girls in final year, I shared sports lessons with her and it’s true that it will really leave a great void, because she was a very dynamic girl, always with a smile“says another student.
The car accident took place around 5 p.m. Wednesday near Lake Chalain. Five high school students were on board, including four minors. The 19-year-old driver allegedly lost control on a patch of ice, then the vehicle fell ten meters before landing in the lake. One of the passengers managed to alert the emergency services and is now out of danger. The other four youngsters did not survive.
At the Lycée Paul-Emile Victor, a psychological counseling unit has been set up for students. “We face up by welcoming the words of young people, by allowing them to express themselves. You also have to be able to be sufficiently responsive to their needs“, indicates Stéphane Arru, the principal.
Faced with the tragedy, the whole town of Champagnole (Jura) is bereaved. “It’s sad, sad for the parents, sad for the one who stays. They must be friends with my grandson who is at Paul-Emile Victor, it’s something abominable“, laments a resident. “We are very, very shocked, all Champagnole is only talking about that this morning“, adds another. An investigation has been opened to concretely determine the circumstances of this tragic accident.