the poignant testimony of Gwenaëlle, passenger of the accident bus on the A6

“See how you feel when you're on a high-thrill ride? Physically, that was it. Except that we are waiting for death, instead of a second round.” A few hours after the accident, Gwenaëlle is still upset. This Thursday, November 21 evening, the 27-year-old young woman left Paris aboard a Blablacar bus to reach Lorient, in Brittany, where her 5-year-old little boy was waiting for her. But around 11:20 p.m., after barely twenty minutes of travel, a serious accident occurred on the A6b motorway, near Chevilly-Larue in the Val-de-Marne department, placed on orange snow-ice alert at all times. the day. The bus carrying Gwenaëlle and 36 other passengers, as well as four cars, and a motorcycle were involved in the tragedy.

“There was a first shock. I had my headphones on to listen to music, but I still heard passengers screaming. I held on to the seat and closed my eyes.”says the young woman. Before continuing: “When I opened my eyes, my window was broken, my face was a few centimeters from the roof of one of the crushed cars. I didn't realize right away that it was a car. I was a little disoriented.” When she realizes that she is walking on the roof of an damaged car, Gwenaëlle tenses up. “I was very calm until then, I admit that at that moment I became paralyzed, said to myself “I'm stepping on someone's head, maybe children”. The woman in front of me made me come to my senses because she was panicking. I had to regain my composure to try to calm her down.”adds Gwenaëlle.

“It was catastrophic”

Once out with the other passengers, the Breton noticed the first damage. Among Blablacar's customers, several are injured. A bloody nose, a scratched leg, feelings of dizziness for others, notes Gwenaëlle, before specifying that the other passengers injured much more seriously were also evacuated from the vehicle. “I thanked my neighbor who was sitting next to me for buckling in during the trip. If he hadn’t, he would have crushed me.”

I'm happy to be alive. I have obvious compassion for all the people for whom this was a tragedy. I know that psychologically, it will be difficult for many of the victims

Gwenaëlle

While waiting for help, the survivors try to be useful. Gwenaëlle lends her cell phone to the driver so that he can warn Blablacar. She then manages calls with the company. “We tried to help however we could. It was catastrophic”laments the witness. While Gwenaëlle is on the phone, a woman takes care of a passenger in one of the damaged cars. Further on, the passengers discovered an unconscious man in another vehicle. “I couldn't do anything other than put my scarf on him to try to keep him warm, monitor his breathing and talk to him”assures Gwenaëlle.

sleepless night

The 84 firefighters dispatched to the scene of the tragedy as well as the police then arrived quickly, “and handle the situation very well”. The injured victims are transferred to nearby hospitals. The others were installed by the firefighters in a heated tent, still on the road, around 2:30 a.m. “A bus was to take those who were not injured back to Bercy. There were ten of us. However, he never came. I don't think it's the fault of the Blablacar company, which seemed to me to be in good faith. The road was simply inaccessible. And then, there was at least one other accident in the next lane.”

It was only at 3:30 a.m. that an ambulance and a taxi driven by civil protection transferred them to their center to give them something to eat and drink. Subsequently, five passengers leave by car towards Montparnasse, in Paris. Five others manage to reach Bercy. Gwenaëlle then goes to a hotel but cannot sleep. She finally returns home this Friday evening. “I’m happy to be alive. I have obvious compassion for all the people for whom this was a tragedy. I know that psychologically, it will be difficult for many of the victims.concludes Gwenaëlle.