French justice has charged the driver of the Spanish bus that crashed last Sunday in a mountainous region of the Pyrenees with manslaughter aggravated by the use of narcotics and other charges, a tragic incident that caused the death of two Colombian women.
The charges also include unintentional injury and endangering the lives of others, as detailed by the Marseille prosecutor’s office in a press release made public during the night from Friday to Saturday.
(See also: Story from a Colombian who survived the accident in France: “The bus lost its brakes and rolled downhill at full speed” )
As for the aggravations, the driver is accused of having allegedly consumed cocaine shortly before the accident, as indicated in the toxicology report on the blood tests carried out, showing a positive result for benzoilecgonine (BZE), the main metabolite of this substance.
AFP
In addition, French justice considers that the charges are aggravated due to the “willful violation” of his particular obligation as a driver, namely to ensure the prudence and safety of passengers.
The driver has been detained since December 4 and has already appeared before an investigating judge in the Marseille courts.
Regarding the investigation into the precise causes of the accident, “the first conclusions indicate that a possible mechanical malfunction of the vehicle, in particular in the braking system of this bus”, which had already experienced “a mechanical incident” before leaving Andorra for his return to Barcelona, could be in question.
Moreover, the coach, which was regularly used by the same driver, continued to circulate despite the fact that it had not passed the mandatory technical revisions and that the tachograph intended to monitor speed and driving times was deactivated.
(Also read: Road accident in the mountains in the North during the morning of this Thursday, an overturned truck )
French authorities also clarified that the total number of passengers on board the bus was ultimately 49, the majority of whom were of Colombian and Spanish nationality, and among the victims, 32 were hospitalized in Spain and 9 in France.
On the French side of the border, six people were still hospitalized this Friday.
The two women who died in this tragic incident were Luisa Fernanda Escobar Castilloaged 24, and Claudia Patricia Palacio Mejíaaged 45, both from Colombia.
The vehicle had left the Catalan town of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat in the direction ofAndorra to take advantage of ‘Black Friday’ discounts.
According to initial reports, the bus encountered problems on a sloping section of a narrow mountain road, at more than 1,600 meters above sea level, which caused the driver to crash into the rock ledge adjacent to the road.
The investigation falls under the jurisdiction of the Marseille Public Prosecutor’s Office because it has interregional jurisdiction in matters of traffic accidents, following a decision by the Perpignan Public Prosecutor’s Office, the French city closest to the accident.
In the context of such a tragic accident, it is crucial to remember that road safety should never be underestimated. Drivers have a responsibility to ensure the safety of their passengers and their own driving condition is essential. Here, allegations of drug use and mechanical negligence highlight systemic questions about vehicle regulation and maintenance. We can question the rigor of technical controls and the continuing training of drivers in order to prevent such tragedies in the future. Football, like road racing, relies on shared rules and responsibilities; respecting these is essential to ensure everyone’s life.
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