JUSTICE. On October 29, 2023, two brothers were killed in an accident on the RN4, near Ancerville. Their vehicle, a rental sports car, had worn tires on the rear. The cause of the tragedy?
This Sunday, October 29, 2023, the roadway of the RN4 is wet. Aboard a large sports sedan, two brothers aged 18 and 24 are returning from a wedding in the Loiret. But shortly after 9 a.m., near Ancerville, a stone's throw from Saint-Dizier, the driver lost control of the BMW M4, hit a traffic sign and ended up on the roof. The two young occupants died from shock.
What caused this accident?
Speed and consumption of alcohol or drugs were quickly ruled out as probable causes of this accident. However, two tires are worn. “Pronounced wear on the rear, drive wheels”, according to an assessment carried out by BMW, cited by our colleagues from L’Est Républicain. Problem: the car is a rental vehicle. Two men were therefore summoned to court this week – the first had rented the car to the second and then rented it again to the two brothers – for manslaughter.
Rented with worn tires?
The whole question was whether the BMW had been rented with worn tires or not. The two defendants aged 28 and 29 assured that when they looked around the vehicle, they did not notice any anomaly and put forward the hypothesis of “slippages” made by the two brothers on the occasion of the wedding in the Loiret. A lead quickly dismissed by investigators, who found no trace of any urban rodeo in the area that weekend.
Relaxed
The public prosecutor requested an eight-month suspended prison sentence for the oldest and a six-month suspended prison sentence for the youngest against the two rental companies. For their part, the lawyers of the two defendants, who apologized to the victims' family, who were absent at the hearing, pleaded for an acquittal. The court decided to go their way and acquitted the two men.
P.-J. P.
