The victim, seriously injured, had one of his legs amputated. A tragedy followed by an inhumane escape
On August 27, 2021, at a place called Les Quatre Vents, in the town of Belmont-de-la-Loire, Eric Desmaris, who was driving without a license, crossed a give way and hit a priority motorcyclist. The violence of the impact threw the victim to the ground, causing massive bleeding.
Eric Desmaris and his mother, who followed him in another vehicle, stopped at the scene. But instead of calling for help, as the victim had asked them to do, they fled. Left alone, the biker was finally rescued by a passerby, who arrived a few minutes later, who alerted the emergency services and placed a tourniquet on his leg to stop the bleeding. The victim was airlifted to Clermont-Ferrand hospital, where she underwent an amputation the next day.
A heavy legal past
The gendarmes’ investigation, facilitated by video surveillance images, made it possible to trace the vehicle involved, found in Saint-Bonnet-le-Troncy (Rhône). Its owner, the partner of Eric Desmaris, was arrested, as was his mother, who lived in Moselle. The motorist was quickly identified as the driver.
Already convicted 12 times, including 7 times for driving under the influence of alcohol, Eric Desmaris no longer had a driving license since February 2018. Following the accident, he was placed in pre-trial detention for more than three months.
An insufficient “electroshock” according to the court
Before the Roanne judicial court, Eric Desmaris tried to show that he was aware of the seriousness of his actions. He notably affirmed that his incarceration had been “an electric shock” and that he had stopped consuming alcohol since the events. A statement which did not convince the court. “Your relationship with the law is faulty, because you have not taken into account your previous convictions,” noted the president.
The court finally sentenced Eric Desmaris to 4 years in prison, 3 of which were suspended on probation. He will have to serve one year, with a deferred committal warrant.
Convictions for close accomplices
The motorist’s mother, present at the scene of the accident and leaving without assisting the victim, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for failure to assist a person in danger. The partner of Eric Desmaris, owner of the vehicle used without a license, received a 6-month suspended prison sentence for complicity in driving a vehicle despite the judicial cancellation of the driving license.
A tragedy with irreparable consequences
The Belmont-de-la-Loire accident leaves a lasting imprint on the victim, who had a leg amputated and was marked for life by this tragedy. This verdict serves as a reminder of the tragic consequences of traffic offenses and irresponsibility, both on the road and when faced with the obligation to provide assistance.
