Overview
- The Albertville prosecutor said the bus driver was placed under the French status of témoin assisté after police custody as a judge opened an involuntary manslaughter inquiry.
- That status grants defense rights during the probe and does not equal a formal indictment, signaling an ongoing determination of potential criminal liability.
- According to the prosecutor, the driver left the coach to operate a battery cut-off near the battery, the vehicle then rolled down a steep slope in reverse and overturned, and a 12-year-old Israeli tourist was ejected and died.
- Fifteen people were on board, several suffered minor injuries, and two were taken to Albertville hospital for care, according to emergency responders.
- The prosecutor said the driver's license was valid and initial alcohol and drug tests were negative as investigators examine vehicle securement and operating procedures on steep terrain.