Children on bikes broke in La Rochelle: victims, hearing of the driver… The latest news

A serious road accident took place this Wednesday, June 5, in the town of La Rochelle. A motorist hit a car a group of children from a leisure center who were circulating à bike.

Around forty firefighters, around thirty police officers, seven ambulances and two SMUR teams were dispatched. mobilized to take care of the injured. Around 10 a.m., this Wednesday, June 5, 2024, a car hit a car. a group of children who were going around bike in single file, helmeted and equipped with reflective vests, supervised by two experienced guides from the Bernard leisure center Palissy who organized the outing. The road accident occurred at the corner of Avenue de Coligny and Rue Jules Ferry, at the corner of Avenue de Coligny and Rue Jules Ferry. La Rochelle. À the origin of the incident which left several seriously injured children, aged 8 to 10 years old. 11 years old, a yellow Twingo which was coming in the opposite direction from the after-school group, report France Bleu and La Dépêche. 

À the AFP, which echoesLa Dépêche, a resident of the avenue explains that the driver, aged 83, "went back´ the whole street on the left lane à misinterpretation, she no longer knew what she was doing. A judicial investigation was launched into the matter. opened for involuntary injury and entrusted to the Interdepartmental Directorate of the National Police (DIPN) of La Rochelle. Wednesday evening, the state of health of the driver had still not allowed her to be heard. The investigators therefore prioritized questioning: witnesses and searched for any available video surveillance images.

Seven seriously injured

The firefighters who arrived at the scene of the accident spoke about the situation. three seriously injured and four lightly injured. Among the seven victims, two of them were killed. evacuated to Poitiers. The first, a little girl, had to die. may be moved by helicopter due to gravity. of his state. On Wednesday evening, the Secretary General of the Charente-Maritime prefecture, Emmanuel Cayron, announced that she had then ;té transferred to Tours hospital. The other child was taken by road to the hospital. the Poitiers hospital, where he was always cared for. Wednesday evening. As reported by France Bleu, in addition to these two children – one in extreme emergency, the other in absolute emergency – a third child was in emergency absolute and four others in relative urgency. 

On Wednesday, the Charente-Maritime prefecture indicated: have "activatedé the departmental operational center and mobilized all security services and emergency". On Jules Ferry à La Rochelle, so as not to interfere with the work of the emergency and security services. A medical-psychological emergency unit was also set up. set up in a municipal hall à proximity of the accident scene. To local media, witnesses to the scene reported screams and screams at the time of the tragedy, as well as “terrible images”, in the words of the general secretary of the Charente-Maritime prefecture. In addition to the medical-psychological unit set up, a telephone platform for public information, reachable at 09 70 80 ;90 40 (free call), was also  activated by the prefecture.

A yellow car à the origin of the accident

For the moment, we do not yet know the exact circumstances of the incident, but it was a yellow Twingo which would have hit the group of children, indicated journalists from France Bleu present on site. The driver of the car is an 83 year-old woman who would have lost her vehicle control, also added South West. The Prosecutor's Office indicated; that it was negative and negative. blood alcohol and drugs, before adding that "the cause of the frontal impact is not determined' ;eacute;e". The guard à The driver's view had to be lifted due to her medical condition. She was hospitalized and is not yet “hearable” according to the prosecutor. the Republic, reports France Bleu.