Three days to relive and judge a drama that moved the whole of France. The trial of the Rochefort bus accident opens this Monday, March 28 before the La Rochelle court. Going back six years, it was February 11, 2016 around 7:10 a.m.: a school bus crossed the road of a dump truck, whose tailboard, the side upright of the tipper, had remained open. Shearing the bus from side to side. Very heavy toll: six dead, young people aged 15 to 18, two seriously injured victims, and the eight other occupants of the bus, including the driver, marked for life by the death of their comrades.
For these survivors, and for the families of the victims, these three days of hearing promise to be particularly painful. A special hearing room has been set up in the court to accommodate the 42 civil parties. Facing them, only one defendant: the driver of the dump truck, 23 at the time, prosecuted for manslaughter and involuntary injury. For forgetting to raise his tailboard, he risks five years in prison. His employer, the company Eiffage, for its part benefited from a dismissal.
Six years: the investigation of this case was interminable, “unreasonable delay” as pointed out by civil party lawyers. It is partly related to debates on the possible responsibility of Eiffage. Did the regulations at the time require the installation of warning systems in trucks to warn drivers in the event of forgetfulness? Not all experts agreed. After five years of investigation, Eiffage was finally indicted, but only to be exonerated a year later. Dismissal confirmed on appeal last month.
– Visactu
At the heart of the accident, an open tailgate
The tailboard is the side upright of a tipper body, which can be lowered using hydraulic cylinders. Shortly before hitting the road on February 11, 2016, the driver of the dump truck just lowered his left tailboard, to install a tarp. Most likely he forgot to pick it up. In any case, this 450 kg piece left its victims no chance, shearing the school bus over its entire length.
If we have to retain a positive consequence of this affair, it is to have advance regulation. Since July 2000, the installation of warning and automatic speed limitation systems has been compulsory on all tipper trucks in France. Precisely to prevent driving with the tailgate open.
This tragedy is also the result of a sad chain of circumstances: the closure of the swing bridge at the port of Rochefort, which forces the coach to take a detour, the place of the collision which is where the roadway is narrower, and above all lack of visibility. At the time of the accident, it’s still dark, and it’s drizzling.