Four high school students died in a road accident, Wednesday January 19 at the end of the afternoon in the Jura, indicates France Bleu Besançon. After leaving the road caused by the ice, the car fell about ten meters high and ended its race in Lake Chalain, about thirty kilometers east of Lons-le-Saunier.
Only one of the occupants managed to get out of the vehicle, and was able to notify the emergency services. He was hospitalized in a state of hypothermia at Lons-le-Saunier hospital. Only the driver was an adult out of the five passengers, all high school students at the boarding school in the town of Champagnole, about twenty kilometers from the lake.
The testimony of the survivor will be decisive, according to the prosecutor of Lons-le-Saunier, Lionel Pascal, who specified that an investigation for manslaughter was opened. “This youngster will tell us what the plan was. Did they come on this road knowingly or did they make a mistake and arrive there by mistake?”, he explained.
“Our thoughts, above all, go out to the families of these four young people”, said David Philot, the prefect of Jura, also at the scene of the accident on Wednesday evening. “We also have the concern to accompany the comrades of their high school in the hours and the days to come.” A psychological cell will be set up in the Paul-Émile Victor high school in Champagnole.
The Minister of National Education Jean-Michel Blanquer also reacted on his Twitter account: “After this tragedy which affects the entire educational community and especially the academy of Besançon, I want to express my pain and send all my thoughts to the families and loved ones of the high school students. The services of the State are fully mobilized with the entourage of the victims.”
After this tragedy which affects the entire educational community and especially @acbesancon, I want to express my pain and send all my thoughts to the families and loved ones of the high school students.
State services are fully mobilized with those around the victims: https://t.co/WPRFto7Ft0— Jean-Michel Blanquer (@jmblanquer) January 19, 2022
A crisis cell was set up in the evening in Lons-le-Saunier, in the wake of the rescue operations.