The results could have been dramatic this Friday, December 27 around 6:30 p.m. on the dual carriageway RN7 at the Riorges exit. A heavy goods vehicle and six cars collided while traveling in the Balbigny/Paris direction, near the rue de Matel bridge.
Around ten victims, shocked but unharmed
Around ten occupants were present in the different vehicles at the time of the various impacts. According to initial findings, fortunately, or even miraculously, no injuries were reported.
The conditions of this very spectacular pileup have yet to be established. According to witnesses, the most likely scenario would be that the truck driver lost control of his road vehicle, for an unknown reason. The tractor would have hit one side of the bridge and its empty trailer would have been hit by a first car following the heavy goods vehicle, a powerful Audi. It would then have gone into a spin, hitting the safety barriers. But five other cars following the German sedan were unable to avoid it and collided.
All the occupants were able to get out of their damaged car themselves. Still according to witnesses, those present in the Audi fled the scene of the accident, getting into a car that came to pick them up in the other direction of traffic.
The occupants of the fleeing Audi
Around twenty firefighters, from the Roanne, Cordelle and Pouilly-sous-Charlieu barracks, as well as a medical team from Smur, went to the site to treat the shocked but unharmed victims. The police officers at the station collected the various testimonies and opened an investigation to determine the exact reasons for the accident.
A diversion was put in place during rescue operations and the removal of wreckage from the roadway.
