A group of cyclists including 14 teenagers, at least one of whom was in an absolute emergency, was mown down this Wednesday afternoon by a car traveling in the opposite direction in Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert, in the Loire, has learned from
Le Figaro
from corroborating sources, confirming information from Le
Progrès
.
“
The accident occurred as a vehicle passed a group of cyclists traveling in a column on a bridge over the D498.
A driver at the wheel of her car arriving in the opposite direction found herself facing the vehicle which was overtaking before falling back to the left and hitting the cyclists,
”the gendarmerie told AFP, informed shortly after 4:00 p.m.
Three seriously injured teenagers
The group of cyclists belongs to the Espoirs cyclistes Saint-Etienne Loire club and was made up at the time of the accident of 4 adults and 14 teenagers aged 14 to 18, according to firefighters.
"
A psychological listening cell was set up at the Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert barracks to accommodate ten shocked young people as well as their parents,
" said the firefighters.
Contacted by
Le Figaro
, the Espoirs cyclistes Saint-Étienne Loire club confirmed that three teenagers were seriously injured.
"Members of the club are currently on site to take stock, we are waiting".
A 14-year-old in an absolute emergency and was evacuated to the Saint-Étienne hospital.
Two other people were in relative emergency and 10 others were in shock, according to firefighters.
A total of 43 firefighters intervened at the scene of the accident, assisted by 21 vehicles including 7 ambulances, as well as a team from the Samu.
About twenty gendarmes also attended.
Shocked, the driver of the vehicle involved had to be heard by the soldiers.
