On Tuesday, September 3, 2024, shortly after 11 p.m., while firefighters from Rennes were working on the Nationale 137 between Rennes and Nantes, their truck was hit by a car near Noyal-Châtillon-sur-Seiche.
A very violent accident
It was 11:09 p.m. on Tuesday evening when emergency services were called by two motorists who had just come across a pedestrian staggering on the emergency lane of the Nationale 137. The firefighters were on the scene about ten minutes later, around 11:20 p.m., and it was while they were stopping to assist the pedestrian that their truck was hit by a car.
Firefighters SDIS35
The shock is very violent, so much so that The emergency vehicle was thrown into the ditch about thirty meters away from there, with the rear completely buried. Under the impact, the car also ends up in the ditch.
Firefighter and witness seriously injured
The toll is heavy. Among Of the 13 people involved in the accident, 9 were injured. Two were in a critical condition. The victims were a 40-year-old firefighter who was in command of the vehicle, the “fire chief”, and the motorist who had called for help. Seven other people, including the two other firefighters, the occupants of the vehicle that hit the emergency vehicle, and other witnesses, were in a relatively emergency state.
At midday, Wednesday, September 4, the firefighter’s condition was “rather reassuring, and tending towards improvement”, according to Eric Candas, director of the Ille-et-Vilaine Departmental Fire and Rescue Service (SDIS 35). He has numerous bruises on his face, including a wound on his forehead that has been stitched up with two stitches, but nothing is broken despite severe pain in his elbow and left leg. He must remain under observation at the hospital for 24 hours. The witness who called the fire brigade is still in hospital in a serious condition.
A shock at a time when firefighters were most vulnerable
“Our vehicle was hit precisely at the moment when it was most vulnerable, that is to say before the other emergency vehicles arrive to secure the intervention zone“adds Eric Candas. The investigation must determine whether the car that hit the emergency vehicle was speeding. At that point, the N137 is limited to 110 kilometers per hour, and “A shock at this speed can cause this damage”explained Eric Candas.
All the injured were hospitalized either at the Rennes University Hospital or at the Saint-Grégoire clinic. In total, 68 firefighters were mobilized to this accident.
