He's a disillusioned fatheralmost five years after the disappearance of his daughter. Grace Lochin was killed in Rennes on November 4, 2019hit by a city dump truck while she was riding her bike at the intersection of Patton and Rochester avenues in the Maurepas neighborhood. A crossroads considered dangerous. “Waiting five years to get this result, someone needs to explain it to me,” estimates Joël Lochin, Grace's father at the microphone of France Bleu Mayenne. With his two sons, they appealed of this decision.
“No fault of recklessness, negligence or inattention” for the driver
The investigating judge made an order of dismissal on September 18, indicating that “in view of the elements brought to light in particular by the legal expertise, that no fault of imprudence, negligence, inattention or non-compliance with the law or regulations could be blamed on the truck driver”specifies the Rennes public prosecutor's office. The latter explains to France Bleu Mayenne that “the criminal liability of Rennes Métropole” does not allow it to be committed by the investigating magistrate. “I hope that justice in France is not just a word”added by Joël Lochin, “that at least we have the dignity to respect my daughter who died”.
“It hits me in the gut, for me, it’s unacceptable and when it happened, I went back five years, when I was told by telephone that my daughter had died, I had the impression of reliving it a second time, a second death for my daughter”he describes. Rennes Métropole, which we contacted, does not wish to comment on any court decision.
The development of the intersection voted on by the municipal council
The city of Rennes voted, during the municipal council of September 16, 2024, two days before this dismissal order, securing the intersection Patton and Rochester avenues and Armorique boulevard. An intersection identified as a risk for bicycles and pedestrians. All for an envelope of more than 3.2 million euros. Work will begin in April 2025 and should end in September 2026.
“Unfortunately, my daughter had to die for us to make a provisional route and redo the entire intersection”comments Grace’s father, “I say to myself, too late for my daughter, so much the better for the others”. But he still regrets this desire to abandon the prosecution by the investigating judge. “We must take responsibility for our actions, for the driver, we must assume our responsibilities at the level of local authorities, town halls. If there is something that has not been done on time, if we have not not put in place the means to secure the movement of pedestrians, vulnerable people, cyclists, we must be held accountable, we cannot say no, it is not possible, it is unhearable For the parents of a child. who died like that, it's unhearable”juge Joël Lochin.
According to Me Stéphane Babonneau, the lawyer for the father and two sons of the victim, whom we contacted, we will have to wait between eight months and a year for justice to rule on this appeal.
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