Allier: tragic crash between a minibus and a truck – Le Point

They returned to their countries to celebrate Easter, only the driver survived. Shortly before midnight, a tragic accident occurred in the Allier between a minibus and a truck. Party of Switzerland to reach Portugal, the minibus hit a truck head on. The images testify to the violence of the shock. The twelve passengers, a priori all Portuguese, are dead. Among them, a 7 year old girl.

The accident occurred in the town of Montbeugny near Moulins, along the national road 79, known for its danger, a portion of the famous RCEA ( route Atlantic Center Europe), which crosses France from east to west.

According to the prefecture, the vehicle “veered off course for reasons still unknown and crashed into a truck head-on collision oncoming “and” twelve passengers of the minibus, a priori all of Portuguese nationality, died. ” The driver of the minibus survived, injured as the two Italian drivers of the truck, but their days are not in danger, said the prefecture.

Survey

A chapel was was erected in the hall of Montbeugny. For the relatives of the victims, a hotline (0033 (0) 811 00 06 03) has been set up. In front of the village hall, the funeral and the criminal identification truck took place at daybreak, according to an AFP photographer.

The driver of the minibus had not drunk a priori, its alcohol testing is negative emerged, did was learned judicial source. Prosecutors in Moulins has opened an investigation into the circumstances of the accident, entrusted to the gendarmerie. Why did the minibus veered off course? The driver he asleep? Is the speed involved? So many questions she must answer.

A “two-way cemetery”

Photo taken on 3 February 2011, showing a black figure panel while trucks circulating on the CEAR (Route Centre Europe Atlantique), as part N79 going towards Moulins. The CEAR, National that connects the Atlantic coast in Geneva, is one of the most dangerous routes in France on its central part where it reduced to two lanes. In 2010, the Allier has recorded 43 deaths on its roads, including 15 on the only RCEA. Each day, nearly 15,000 vehicles travel there, 40% of trucks in the Allier. After two dramatic accidents in August, the government had allocated 400,000 euros to finance emergency measures, such as traffic signs. AFP PHOTO THIERRY ZOCCOLAN / AFP / THIERRY ZOCCOLAN © THIERRY ZOCCOLAN

This route is certainly known for its danger. “It is quite monotonous, the speed limit is 90 km / h. There are those who are impatient and those who fall asleep, “noted the judicial source. And there are only four passing zones in the area. “It’s been more than forty years we speak of to dual carriageway” said the same source. Result: many shocks, heavy vehicle drivers who graze cars and sometimes accidents that involve many vehicles. A user group meeting on Facebook, called “CEAR: four ways to stop the massacre” and involving more than 2000 people, believes that this axis “is a cemetery two lanes in Saône-et-Loire and Allier “.

The road was to remain cut until at least 9:00 Friday morning. Deviations were introduced. The prefecture recalled prudential regulation, including advising to stop every two hours, especially during the Easter weekend, “traditionally killer on the roads.”

This incident adds to already a black list well in recent months. In February, the collision between a school bus and a truck in Charente-Maritime killed six teenagers, following the route of exit of a car that killed two in the Doubs. In October, 43 people were killed in a bus accident in Gironde, the worst since the one occurred in Beaune in 1982, which had 53 deaths. In recent years, 26 Polish pilgrims who went to Notre-Dame-de-la-Salette (Isere) in July 2007 were killed by the fall of their car in the infamous ramp Laffrey. In 1995, 23 people died after a bus linking the Spanish Netherlands had hit the back of a truck in the Gard.