what we know about the circumstances of the tragedy which left seven injured, including a “brain dead” girl

The events occurred Wednesday morning near the city center, while the children were going to an orienteering race in a public park.

An investigation has been opened. A group of children on bicycles were hit by a vehicle in La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime), Wednesday June 5. The accident left seven injured, including a 10-year-old girl who was “brain dead“, announced the La Rochelle public prosecutor’s office on Thursday. Here is what we know about this tragedy.

A group of children aged 10 to 12 on an after-school outing

The events occurred on Wednesday morning around 10 a.m., near the city center of La Rochelle, at the intersection of avenue Coligny and rue Jules-Ferry, while the children were on their way to an orienteering race in a public park. According to the prefecture, it was a group of young cyclists on an after-school outing made up of 12 children aged 10 to 12 years old.

The children were accompanied by two animators and “used to travel by bike. They do it regularly”, La Rochelle town hall told AFP. She added to France 3 Nouvelle Aquitaine that the group “departed from the Bernard-Palissy leisure center and went to Franck Delmas Park.“

A head-on collision with an 83-year-old motorist

For a reason still unknown, a head-on collision occurred at this intersection between the group of cyclists and a motorist in a yellow Twingo. According to the La Rochelle public prosecutor’s office, the cThe accused driver is 83 years old. Negative on alcohol and narcotics tests, she was placed in police custody but her condition was deemed incompatible with this measure, according to the same source. The driver was admitted to a psychiatric hospital on Thursday.

Two seriously injured, a little girl “brain dead”

Among the 12 children, seven were injured. A 10-year-old girl is in “brain dead state”, the La Rochelle prosecutor’s office said in a press release on Thursday. Another child is still in absolute emergency and is in a “bad state”. The third child who was seriously injured”was transferred to Poitiers for observation”, also explains the prosecution. Four other children were also injured, two of whom were released from hospital.

The five other children, very shocked, were taken care of by firefighters in a nearby room. Thirty-two firefighters were involved, as well as seven ambulances and various intervention vehicles. “The toll is very heavy. Our priority was to rescue the children, and also to take care of those who were not physically injured but very shocked by this accident. The scene was trying for all those who saw it” , Emmanuel Cayron told the press on Wednesday.

An investigation opened into unintentional injuries by a driver

THE vsThe La Rochelle police station was investigated for unintentional injuries by a driver. “She will have to take stock of the circumstances of the accident”said Emmanuel Cayron.