the essential
An accident at the exit of a village festival in Gers turned into a farce yesterday at the Auch court, before taking a turn towards the assizes as the testimonies progressed.
During the night of Saturday February 25 to Sunday February 26, 2023, around 4 a.m., the parking lot of the Aux-Aussat village hall was the scene of an accident. Two boys are hit by a young girl’s 4×4 as she leaves her parking lot. Apparently a trivial fact. Tuesday’s hearing at the Auch court revealed a completely different picture.
When Anne* and Arthur* leave the party, Arthur has drunk too much to get behind the wheel. Anne, despite his protests, takes the keys and starts the big Toyota 4×4. Opposite, in his Sirocco Volkswagen with the headlights on, Loïc* waits for Kévin* to come and sit in the passenger seat. The Toyota starts, while Kevin goes around the Sirocco. The 4×4 advances, hits Kevin who tries to avoid it. He is hit in the ankle. Loïc receives the open door in the chest. Anne’s car swerves, and ends up in a hedge a few meters away.
Who was driving?
From there, everything gets complicated. Anne, the only defendant, has no memory of having touched a car or people. However, there are traces of impact on the Sirocco, and witnesses. “I was dazzled by the headlights in front of me,” assures the young woman, who was 21 at the time of the incident. If she concedes that “yes, it’s possible”, she may have hit the car, she doesn’t change: she was driving. A statement that the president asks him to confirm. Because according to Kevin, it was Arthur who was driving. He even assures that the Toyota accelerated before hitting him.
Because the two boys have a dispute. Arthur hit Kevin’s sister. Since then, each meeting has been synonymous with tension. But everyone says it: there was no confrontation at the party. The prosecutor wonders how Kevin was able to recognize the driver with the headlights in his eyes. Especially since he was frankly drunk.
Theatrical twists
Henri arrives, a farmer in Vic-Bigorre, a witness who has never been heard. He knows the couple, even if he no longer sees them today. This witness says that on the Monday following the events, Arthur came to his house. “He told me: ‘I did something stupid on Saturday. I saw Kévin and I drove into him. We’re going to say that it was Anne who was driving.’ » A great silence falls over the packed room. The prosecutor reminds Henri that he is testifying under oath. “There, we are talking about the assizes for attempted homicide, are you aware of that? » Henri confirms.
The second twist is not long in coming. “Today,” Anne’s lawyer explains, “she and Arthur are no longer together because shortly after the accident, Henri’s wife left him for Arthur. That’s why he doesn’t see them anymore.” With a tense face, Anne agrees, but persists: she has no reason to cover for Arthur, and she was driving the SUV.
For the public prosecutor, it is impossible to make a request as it stands. Especially since Arthur is not involved in this affair. He is therefore not present to respond. To sort out these statements, the court put an end to the proceedings, and the president requested additional information. Arthur will be the subject of a hearing, and a confrontation with the witness, and his wife. The case will be tried again on January 28.
