A figure from the Toulouse community who was knocked down on a bicycle is between life and death. Odile Jourdane, 74, was mowed down while cycling on a pedestrian crossing on Wednesday November 20, avenue de la Reynerie in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), by a car driven by a minor who was driving without a license.
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A 74-year-old woman was the victim of a driver on Wednesday November 20 around 8 p.m. This woman, Odile Jourdane, is very involved in the Toulouse community.
She was mowed down while cycling on a pedestrian crossing, avenue de la Reynerie, while she was returning home, by an unlicensed minor driving a racing car.
The accident occurred between two roundabouts a few meters from the Grand M media library, in the same place where twin sisters died 30 years ago, also hit by a driver.
According to her children, who testified in the press, Odile Jourdane was rescued in very serious condition. Between life and death, she is still in a coma, her chances of survival would be slim.
A resident of the Bellefontaine district of Toulouse, her accident shook the entire community. Odile Jourdane is indeed very involved in the working-class neighborhoods of Toulouse. She notably contributed to the creation of the association “Un Sourire d’Enfant” which offers educational assistance.
Odile was also returning from giving a class on the day of her accident. A very involved woman, Odile was also involved in the women's movement at Mirail with “Bel arc-en-ciel”. A practicing Catholic, she was also very active in intercultural dialogue between Christians and Muslims. The news of his accident moved many people.
His accident took place on Avenue de la Reynerie, which is known to be dangerous. This artery is indeed very busy, and vehicles travel there quickly. For the association “Two Feet, Two Wheels” this avenue is highly “accident-prone”. Straight and long, it has roundabouts which do not slow down speed enough.
For the association, the risk of collisions should be reduced by installing new, more efficient speed bumps and lane narrowing. In short, the association is asking for a global overhaul of this avenue. “Like many major roads in Toulouse, this avenue is much too fast”, explains Boris Kozlow, president of the Deux pieds, Deux Roues association.
But this activist also evokes the attitude of drivers. The young man, a minor, arrested in this case admitted to having driven without a license.
“We are alerting the various authorities to be more severe, with firmer sanctions. We also need to do a lot more prevention to avoid this type of dramatic accident. Why was this person driving without a license? There is no enough controls. Failure to respect cycle facilities can also lead to tragedies. There is too much laxity for motorists, this leads to dramatic accidents. Boris Kozlow, president of the Deux pieds, Deux Roues association.
