the bus driver in front of the victims

Monday, September 19, in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône), the bus driver had to face the parents of the victims of the Millas accident (Pyrénées-Orientales) for the first time. The hearing was tense, and painful. At the mention of the facts, the 53-year-old woman burst into tears. She reaffirmed that she had not forced the crossing. Statements difficult to hear for families. “She snapped. It’s understandable. (…) But I also think that she cracks because she does not really know what she wants to say, where she is coming from”thinks Stephan Mathieu, father of a victim.

“I don’t want to hear him cry. It’s me who’s been crying for five years, it’s my wife who’s been crying for five years”, assures Fabien Bourgeonnier, father of a victim and president of the association “In memory of our angels”. On December 14, 2017, the school bus was moving towards a crossroads, with 23 students returning from school inside. The vehicle was hit by a TER while it was on the level crossing. For the investigators, the barriers were closed. Six children died in the disaster, and 17 others were injured. About twenty witnesses affirmed that the barrier was lowered, and others, less numerous, that it was open.