A direct witness to the accident, Mélanie Jolly says: “It was around 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday. I was by car and arriving from Jarnac via the Nanclas road, when I arrived in the town of Chassors. Arriving at the intersection with Rue de l'Église, I let a large school bus from Grand Cognac pass which had priority. He turned right and I heard the kids screaming on the bus and saw the students who were on the right move to the left. At first I thought he had just scratched the gate pillar of the house on the corner. I took photos then I followed him to Julienne and that's where I saw a huge hole on the right side. Two windows were broken and metal exploded. »
It was at this intersection that the accident occurred. The bus was coming on the right. Turning right, he hit the pillar of the entrance gate to the property on the corner.
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“They asked the driver to stop and he refused, telling them it would be drafty. »
On the bus, “it was panic,” says Matthias Arnault, the father of a 5-year-old student.e from Jean-Lartaut, who was on the bus. “The children were distraught, they had pieces of glass everywhere, some had small, minor cuts fortunately. They asked the driver to stop and he refused, telling them it would be drafty! A girl told him she was terrified and he told her she didn't need much. »
A complaint filed
The driver then continued on his way as if nothing had happened. “My daughter was shocked. We told him to go down to Bourg-Charente, rather than Gondeville,” says Matthias Arnault, who immediately called Grand Cognac to demand accountability. “I was told that he would no longer drive on the Agglo lines, that he would be fired. »
What Jérôme Sourisseau, the president of the Agglo, confirms. He also had his daughter on the bus. “It’s catastrophic what happened. The transport company Thorin, which provides transport for Grand Cognac, assessed the seriousness of the situation and took immediate measures. The driver, who would only provide transport on Wednesdays, was laid off and is summoned for an interview prior to dismissal for serious misconduct. » The company also apologized to the families by email.
Coralie Lalande says she went to the Jarnac gendarmerie to file a complaint. “They refused to take her. » So she went to see the owner of the house whose entrance pillar was damaged, so that she could file a complaint, with supporting photos. Which she did.
