Stéphane Place (in La Rochelle), edited by Nathanaël Bentura
modified to
2:21 p.m., March 28, 2022
One of the most serious child transport accidents in France is judged by the La Rochelle criminal court on Monday. In 2016, a truck collided with a school bus, killing six and seriously injuring four. His driver must answer for homicide and involuntary injuries.
It is called the drama of Rochefort. It was in this city of Charente-Maritime that a truck crossed and grazed a school bus and literally sheared it. It was in 2016. There were six deaths. This Monday, the bus driver must answer for homicide and involuntary injuries. He appeared on the stand at the start of the trial, dressed in black. The driver of the truck is overwhelmed with emotion when the president asks him to tell about this tragic morning of February 11, 2016.
Five high school students and one college student lost their lives
Matthieu, 23 at the time, got off his truck just after the shock and saw the bus smoke. “I said to myself, but what happened? And it was the driver of the coach who explained to me that the tailgate was open,” he said. This heavy removable metal part remained tilted at 90 degrees in a horizontal position and sheared the entire left side of the coach.
On board the devastated cockpit. Five high school students and a college student lost their lives in the accident. “The instruction was long and complete. The families will, I think, have the answers to the questions they legitimately ask themselves”, detailed Master Thierry Sagardoytho, the lawyer for the driver of this dump truck.
“We must pass this course and that justice be done,” said Jean-Marc, the father of one of the victims, aged 18. “I think he’s already serving time in himself. It’s painful for us, it’s painful for him. It’s painful for a lot of people.” The trial is scheduled to continue until Wednesday.