BOURG-EN-BRESSE, France — The driver of a coach bus that veered off the road in eastern France, killing two people and injuring dozens of others, was charged Sunday with involuntary homicide, the public prosecutor’s office in Bourg-en-Bresse announced.
The 26-year-old driver, who has no prior criminal record, was charged with involuntary homicide and involuntary injury by a driver of a motor vehicle, with incapacities exceeding or not exceeding three months depending on the severity of victims’ injuries, prosecutor Karine Malara said in a statement.
Driver Confirms He Fell Asleep Before Impact
Re-interviewed by investigators from the Lyon gendarmerie’s research section, the suspect “confirmed his initial statements, namely that he had started his shift very early in the morning, had felt tired and had fallen asleep before the impact,” Malara said.
Suffering from leg injuries and hospitalized Friday under police custody, the driver had indicated shortly after the crash that he had “dozed off,” the prosecutor said at a Friday evening press briefing. “Initial witness accounts confirm the drowsiness,” she added.
No Aggravating Circumstances Found
Shortly after the incident, an investigation was opened for road homicide and aggravated road injuries against the driver. However, the “initial charges are not being retained, given the absence of aggravating circumstances” such as speeding or alcohol consumption, the prosecutor explained Sunday.
No trace of alcohol or narcotics was found on the driver, and the bus’s speed was capped at 70 km/h by a cruise control system, according to preliminary findings.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot, who visited the crash site Friday, said the driver was “new” to his transport company. He had tested negative during an unannounced check in mid-October, and his company had been inspected 106 times since 2024.
In accordance with the prosecutor’s recommendations, the driver was placed under judicial supervision, including a driving ban and an obligation to receive medical care. Involuntary homicide carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, less than the seven years for road homicide.
Victims Include Seven-Year-Old Girl and Student
The crash occurred Friday morning on the D22 departmental road near the commune of Lent, close to Bourg-en-Bresse. A seven-year-old girl and an 18-year-old student were killed. Three people were hospitalized in critical condition, two with life-threatening prognoses, and 25 others suffered minor injuries. The prosecutor’s office has not provided new details on the condition of the injured.
- Two dead: a seven-year-old girl and an 18-year-old student
- Three hospitalized in critical condition, two with life-threatening injuries
- 25 others lightly injured
- Driver charged with involuntary homicide and involuntary injury
- Placed under judicial supervision with driving ban
