The tranquility of La Rochelle was suddenly disrupted by the occurrence of a sinister traffic accident. A group of children, all from a leisure center and aged 8 to 11, were actually knocked down while they were peacefully riding their bikes. Seven young victims are to be deplored; three of them are in a particularly worrying state.
According to information relayed by BFMTV, one of the victims, seriously injured, required air transport to the Tours hospital, while the two other children in absolute emergency were sent to the Poitiers hospital center. The four other injured people, listed as relatively urgent, are currently receiving treatment at La Rochelle hospital.
The driver involved in this terrible accident is an 83-year-old woman. After being placed in police custody – a measure quickly suspended in view of her psychological state – it was established that neither alcohol nor drugs were involved in this tragic event.
Catherine Leonidas, deputy to the local mayor, emphasizes that the children were perfectly equipped for their trip: “They had yellow vests, helmets“, and were accompanied by two instructors. Their destination was none other than Franck Delmas Park, where an orienteering race was planned.
Faced with such a catastrophe, the public prosecutor’s office launched an investigation to elucidate the precise circumstances which led to the unintentional injuries of the young cyclists. At the same time, the prefecture activated the departmental operational center and set up a medical-psychological emergency cell. The latter offers support and accompaniment to grieving families, both at the scene of the tragedy and within the local hospital center.
The accident has already caused a real national stir. Nicole Belloubet, Minister of National Education, expressed her compassion: “My thoughts are with the injured and their families“. A shock wave which runs through the entire La Rochelle community and well beyond, and which brings to the forefront, in the most dramatic way possible, the question of the ability of the oldest seniors to drive in in complete safety – both for themselves and for others.
