Overview
- The Haute-Loire collision on the RN88, reported overnight Friday to Saturday, left three girls aged 13, 14 and 15 dead and four others injured between Saint-Ferréol-d’Auroure and Firminy.
- Prosecutors say the second car’s driver, a man in his twenties, tested positive for alcohol, fled on foot, was arrested at home, and is in custody under an inquiry for road homicide and involuntary injuries.
- Emergency teams extracted seven occupants from the struck car, which may have been moving slowly due to a mechanical issue, and local reports say at least one passenger was in the trunk at the time of impact.
- In a separate crash in La Réole, Gironde, a car hit a pillar and caught fire, killing the young driver believed to be 16 while two 16-year-old passengers escaped with serious injuries and were taken to Bordeaux’s Pellegrin hospital.
- Investigators in Gironde are reviewing videos that suggest the minors took a parent’s car and drove at excessive speed, while in Haute-Loire they are reconstructing the sequence, speeds, and seating positions to establish full responsibility.