Overview
- The collision occurred around 2:30–2:45 a.m. on Boulevard Ferdinand‑Darchicourt in Libercourt, involving an Audi carrying four 15‑year‑olds and a Volkswagen driven by a 39‑year‑old man.
- Two adolescent rear passengers and the adult driver were declared dead at the scene, and the Audi’s driver and front passenger remain hospitalized in Lille with life‑threatening injuries.
- The Béthune prosecutor’s office assigned the Lens judicial police to the case, ordering autopsies, toxicology tests and technical analyses to reconstruct the crash and verify speed.
- Early investigative findings indicate the Audi A3 was not reported stolen, a 15‑year‑old was driving without a licence, and the car may have been borrowed from a parent.
- Witnesses, surveillance footage and the mayor reported very high speed, including a claim of a speedometer stuck near 150 km/h, which awaits expert confirmation.