A farmer killed on a blockage in Ariège: the circumstances of the accident become clearer

A farmer died during an accident during a mobilization of the agricultural sector Pamiers, in Ariège, this Tuesday January 23. The accident does not appear to be intentional.

A farmers' protest has taken a dramatic turn. A fatal accident occurred at an organized blockage point. &agrav; Pamiers, in Ariège, very early this Tuesday, January 23. "Three members" of the FNSEA were é victims of the accident according to the president of the majority agricultural union. "A woman died, her husband and her daughter are in a complicated condition, with specific details. Arnaud Rousseau on BFMTV-RMC. The father and the daughter are in a & ;quot;serious situation  and critical", according to the prosecutor general of the Toulouse Court of Appeal, Franck Rastoul, questioned about by France Bleu Occitanie. At midday, the Foix prosecutor's office had indicated that the child, a 14-year-old teenager, had succumbed to death. &agrav; his injuries, but this information, taken up by the Internet user, was erroneous.

The privileged accidental track

The exact circumstances of the accident begin at clear up. A flagrant investigation was carried out. opened for counts of aggravated manslaughter and aggravated injuries and entrusted to the Pamiers police station. According to the first elements, "the facts in question do not appear to be of an intentional nature&quot ;, indicatedé in a press release the Foix judicial court.

According to the progress facts present by the Foix court, the vehicle having forced The farmers' barrage arrived from Toulouse and headed towards Andorra. He "borrowedé the national road 20, despite the device put in place to prohibit access. "While traveling on the double track, the vehicle struck, in the middle of the night, and without public lighting. nearby, a wall of straw bales, erected all the way up to the bridge, and while this wall of straw was covered with a large black tarpaulin, continues the press release. However, it was behind this straw wall that the farmers were eating, three of the demonstrators were killed. hit before the car finished its course against the trailer of a tractor. Investigators do not yet explain how or why the vehicle evaded the road. devices to secure and prevent access.

The three occupants of the vehicle, a couple and one of their friends, all of nationality: foreigner, have been placed in custody seen and must be quickly heard. The driver âacirc; 44 year old wasé submitted à Screening tests for alcohol and drugs all came back negative.

Testimonies from farmers on site described a car driving at high speed. high speed colliding with the straw wall éerected & by farmers. “They moved on" at crazy speed, on the shoulders while avoiding the concrete blocks, indicated for his part the vice-president of the FDSEA d'Ariège, Sébastien Durand, with France 3  Occitanie.

Who are the victims ?

The three victims of the accident formed a family of farmers and participated in the manifestation of the blocking point of the Ariège. The mother and farmer, first named Alexandra and aged around thirty, is death. Her 14-year-old daughter and her husband are also seriously injured and taken into care.

The farmer was a cow breeder and corn producer. s in the village of Saint-Felix-de-Tournegat, à a few kilometers from Pamiers, reports Le Parisien. The three members of the family were also members of the group. the FDSEA according to information from La Dépêche du Midi. “Alexandra was a real person, involved in a lot of things, very passionate about hunting" said, very émo, the farmer Jérôme Bayle, friend of the victim and figure in the farmers' movement alongside from AFP. The farmer was also an elected official of the municipal council of her commune.

A drama that "will strengthen our determination"

The fatal accident in the Ariège is a "drama" that "upset us all" saidé the president of the FNSEA on BFMTV-RMC, this Tuesday morning. Arnaud Rousseau also urged “farmers" &be vigilant about security conditions". "Putting our messages across also means ensuring security& ;eacute; of each […] There is an absolute necessityé &agrav; éavoid this kind of dramatic accident which leaves us all in mourning", he added.

Young farmers like the FDSEA of Ariège have announced the lifting of the blockage proximity of the N20 and the RD119, near Pamiers, a few hours after the accident. The local unions “show their full support to the loved ones and the victims' family. This tragedy shakes up the movement at the national level, but it "will strengthen the determination" of the movement according to the vice-president of the FNSEA, Luc Smessaert,  contacté by BFMTV : "Ça only gives meaning and values ​​&agrav; our fight. If this family was on this roadblock, it is because there is a malaise." And the trade unionist adds and insists: "When we are on these roadblocks, it always has a lot of dignity. These farmers are there well in spite of it them. […] There is a need for change."

The Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau also reacted, insisting on send your condolences to the family of the victims. "It's a tragedy for all of us,” he wrote on ;close with the Ari&egrave prefecture to know the exact circumstances of the accident".