Since 2014 and the death of a man in a road accident in the Doubs, his widow Sophie Rollet has been fighting to prove the responsibility of the Goodyear tire manufacturer in a series of fatal heavyweight accidents in France. This Thursday, April 17, 2025, the public prosecutor of Besançon announced the expansion of prosecution against two entities of the American company, and a summons.
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The Goodyear affair has just taken a new step. No doubt decisive. Already continued for manslaughter, the manufacturer of tires which is the subject of a survey centralized by an investigating judge in Besançon (Doubs), is reproached for two new offenses, in the Consumer Code this time. In this case, deceptive business practices for having hidden the vices of some of its tires, vices known since 2013 as justice has established. There SAS Goodyear France and SAS Goodyear Operations located in Luxembourg Will also be continued for deception on the substantial qualities of goods, having made them dangerous for humans, said Etienne Manteaux, public prosecutor of Besançon.
We do not how to proceed the current procedures. We continue to bring our full cooperation within the framework of this judicial instruction.
GoodyearIn response to France 3 Franche-Comté
Two representatives of these two Goodyear entities will be summoned on May 13, 2025 in the office of the investigating judge for a “possible indictment”and a fine as a legal person up to 10% of the turnover of these companies. The American giant is criticized for being aware of a manufacturing defect on its tires, but of not having warned its customers.
Etienne Manteaux, public prosecutor of Besançon. • © David Martin – France Télévisions
Besançon’s investigating judge is investigating a series of accidents in France between 2011 and 2016 involving LHS II and marathon LHS II + marathon tires of Goodyear. 4 dead in total. Injured. Some facts are prescribed. But connection with the offense offense will remove the prescription of prosecution in terms of consumer code.
According to Étienne Manteaux, 50% of the tires incriminated were removed from traffic by Goodyear which, as early as 2014, launched a exchange program (Tango) rather than a recall campaign. Goodyear knew, and left drivers and companies riding with defective tires, says justice. The prosecutor evokes a practice “Systemic concealment”and accidents that could have “perhaps” been able to be avoided if the company had started a reminder program for defective tires.
Sophie Rollet, her husband died in an accident in 2014 in Doubs. The truck that struck him was driving with Goodyear tires. • © Sophie Courageot – France Télévisions
On the sidelines of the press conference, Sophie Rollet, a whistleblower whose husband died in July 2014 in the Doubs was very moved by the announcement of these new legal proceedings. “I have a thought for my husband, for all the victims” she summed up. She believes that a large number of tires are still in circulation in France and in Europe, and hopes to be able to obtain a large European recall campaign (Rapex), even years later.
-I don’t care about the fine. Today, I know and say that some of these tires are still in circulation, which concerns me.
Sophie Rollet, widow of a victim and whistleblower
The American giant Goodyear is the world’s third manufacturer of tires behind Bridgestone and Michelin. It weighs in 2024 18.9 billion dollars in turnover (16.6 billion euros).
- July 25, 2014, two dead on the A36 in the Doubs
She never doubted it. Convinced that the marathon tires have a design defect, Sophie Rollet spent 10 years of her life collecting all the possible elements, forcing all the doors to finally shed light on the death of her husband on July 25, 2014. On the A36 in Blusans in the Doubs, Jean-Paul Rollet was killed at the wheel of his truck, struck by another heavy goods vehicle. The accident left two dead. The two drivers. For more than 10 years, Sophie Rollet has identified, peeled the accidents involving these marathon tires. In 2015, a first survey led to a classification without follow -up, but Sophie Rollet refused to be satisfied with these conclusions. She manages to obtain internal documents putting the Goodyear pin, which causes in 2019 an expertise that incriminates defective tires. But the American giant rejects any responsibility. And as a world survey reveals, Goodyear has refused to recall his products, preferring, in all discretion, a commercial exchange of the incriminated tires.
I knew that behind these accidents, there was something huge. That dramas were going to reproduce. But no one was doing anything, the senior officials have long looked away. It was super complicated to live.
Sophie Rollet, widow of a truck driver who died in the DoubsFrance 3 Franche-Comté, May 2024
July 2014, two men died in the Doubs on the A36 after the break -up of a Goodyear tire. One of the victims’ husband’s husband is. • © France 3 Franche-Comté
- May 14, 2024, searches in three Goodyear sites in Europe
Sophie Rollet continues her tireless fight. Determined. Justice ends up reopening the file on the basis of the elements accumulated by this whistleblower. Searches take place on May 14, 2024 in three European sites of the American tire giant, as part of an inquiry survey linked to accidents caused by the bursting of heavyweight tires.
“The objective of these searches is to determine the degree of knowledge by Goodyear of the dangerousness of the LHS II and Marathon LHS II + marathon tires and the number of claims that have been brought to his attention.
Etienne Manteaux, public prosecutor of Besançon.
The world reveals that in November 2023, a mysterious whistleblower launched a USB key at the Besançon courthouse. Inside the confidential files of Goodyear. The daily also receives internal documents to the company.
- May 16, 2024, judicial information for “manslaughter”
On May 16, 2024, a few hours after the searches, the Besançon prosecutor’s office formalized the opening of judicial information for “involuntary homicides”, targeting Goodyear after several fatal accidents attributed to the bursting of the Marathon LHS II and LHS II +tires, the one of which costing Jean-Paul Rollet, 53, the husband of Sophie Rollet. The Besançon prosecutor’s office centralized the investigation into three fatal collision files, which occurred in the Doubs, the Somme and the Yvelines between 2014 and 2016. Four people died in these accidents involving Goodyear tires.
- May 13, 2025, two Goodyear entities summoned
Two entities of the American giant of the Goodyear tire are summoned before an investigating judge in Besançon on May 13 “for a possible indictment”as part of a survey for manslaughter. The investigation also relates to the leaders of “Decorner on the substantial qualities of a commodity” et “misleading commercial practices”. Pursued companies face a fine of up to 10% of their turnover.
