Figure of the Olympic Castres (CO) in Top 14 and the Olympic Rugby Selection of Seven of his country, the Fijian winger Josaia Raisuqe (30) died Thursday morning behind the wheel of his car. He was struck around 8 hours by a train up to a level crossing in the town of Saïx, on the path between the CO training center and his home. We know a little more about the circumstances of this tragic accident which moved the world of rugby.
A driver and a train controller were evacuated, unharmed physically but in shock, according to the firefighters of the Tarn. No passenger was injured, according to this source. A “investigation to search for death” was immediately opened this Thursday and entrusted to the local gendarmerie brigades, said the public prosecutor of Castres, Elodie Buguel, in a statement.
Alcohol levels and negative narcotics for the driver of the train
According to the latest information communicated by the public prosecutor of Castres this afternoon, and the “first testimonies collected”, “it appears that the vehicle would have crossed the security barriers and was struck by the locomotive”.
“Technical and scientific” investigations have been carried out “in particular to determine the exact circumstances of the collision (entry of data from the black box of the train, investigation on the proper functioning of the level passage)”, according to the press release from Ms. Buguel. As for the samples (alcohol levels and narcotics) taken on the train driver, they proved to be negative.
In addition to postponing May 24 of the match against Clermont initially planned for this Saturday, the National Rugby League announced that a tribute would be “paid to Josaia Raisuqe on all Top 14 and Pro D2 terrains this weekend”. “It was with the heavy heart that we learned of the death this morning in a road accident of our player Josaia Raisuqe,” said the club in a statement this Thursday noon. The whole CO family is upset by this terrible news. We send our sincere condolences and our thoughts to his family as well as to his loved ones. »»
