The facts
- Friday November 15, 2024, shortly after 3 a.m., firefighters were called to an accident on the Veulettes road, the D10, in Cany-Barville.
- On site, they discovered that a 44-ton truck, empty of any cargo, had hit a one-story house, part of which several meters long had collapsed to the ground.
- Three victims were spotted by firefighters. The driver of the heavy goods vehicle, a 55-year-old man, unconscious and incarcerated, was declared dead shortly afterwards.
“I was called shortly after 3 a.m. for a very serious traffic accident”indicates Michel Baudry, first deputy mayor of Cany-Barville. When he arrived there, he discovered a tragedy. “The firefighters had evacuated the people who lived in the accommodation located nearby. I opened the town hall to keep them warm, give them water, coffee… Six people were relocated to the Cany-Barville campsite and another to the residence for the elderly”specifies the deputy mayor.
Given how fast things are going, you could expect there to be some drama one day.
A little further on, a man takes some photos of what remains of the house. “We live in the house next door and it was our daughter who was woken up by the impact. She felt that the whole house had moved and she woke us up.”says Johann. Evacuated at a run around 3:30 a.m., the little family left without their personal belongings. “We are waiting to know if we will be able to return to our home again or if we will at least be able to collect some things to live decently. »
But this dramatic accident does not seem to surprise him. “Personally, when I see the number of trucks that pass during the beet season, it concerns me. It's very noisy, there are trucks driving very fast, you can sometimes hear them at night. This is a very dangerous intersection, you may need to secure the area. »
The stunned Canycais
It was like a shock for some residents when they woke up. Many of them simply didn't hear anything about what happened during the night. “I didn’t hear anything at all. I got up this morning at 9 o'clock and then I saw that there were the firefighters and lots of people, even though I live right next door », remarks Didier. “I think first of the driver and his family, I don’t know what happened to him but we can’t blame him. Houses are still material. »
It's unfortunate for the driver, he wasn't that old
“It was a kebab therepoints Jean-Michel, I used to go there from time to time and now it is completely destroyed. The restaurant, the tables… Both floors fell. I've been around for forty years, I've never seen that.”he says. On another sidewalk, a resident notices the damage. “I got up around 4 a.m. because I saw flashing lights. At first, I thought it was the Samu who was coming to pick up a person, and then when I came out, I saw that the truck had entered the store. »
A road closed for several weeks?
This is, in any case, what the first deputy mayor of Cany-Barville expects. “The big concern is the diversions and the building that we will have to secure. We are currently trying to find a building expert to try to put the traffic back in place. » Obviously, when we see the state of the building, a question comes to mind: “Will the D6015 trilogy be repeated in the Pays de Caux?”
In my opinion, the road will remain closed for several days
“The current risk is that the building will collapse. As we have put up barriers, there is no danger to the public. But for the passage of vehicles, it will pose a problem. » One thing is certain, he does not expect a return to normal anytime soon. “In my opinion, the road will remain closed for several days and as for the building, we are still waiting for experts. »
What we know
Rumors are already spreading in all directions, even though the investigation has only just begun. “It appears that the truck driver was followed by one of his colleagues”indicates a resident. “A priori, they were in communication and suddenly, nothing, he saw him go straight. Either he was unwell or had a heart attack, we don’t really know…”continues another, looking from afar at what remains of the house.
The origin of the accident remains unknown at this stage, although “one path is more privileged than others: that of falling asleep or feeling unwell”indicates the commander of the Fécamp gendarmerie company, Ludovic Dantec. “Testimonials and technical elements” are going in this direction. A physical examination planned soon and expert opinions will probably reveal more. The driver of the heavy goods vehicle lived in the Cany-Barville region.
