The Criminal Court of La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime) delivered its deliberation on Thursday, after the hearing of March 28 and 29 in the case of the school bus accident in Rochefort, which had six dead on February 11, 2016 .
The driver was found “guilty of having, by clumsiness, imprudence, inattention, negligence or breach of an obligation of prudence or safety, in this case by driving a truck whose tailgate he had not closed, involuntarily caused the death of six people” and injured eight others.
On the morning of February 11, 2016, he was driving the dump truck, the left tailgate of which, left in the open position, had literally sheared the entire length of the school bus arriving in the opposite direction, killing six passengers aged 15 to 18 and seriously injuring two others. .
Sentenced to award compensation
The court sentenced him to a five-year suspended prison sentence and a five-year ban on driving vehicles requiring licenses other than those required for light vehicles and motorcycles. He is also ordered to award compensation to the civil parties. Another hearing will be held on July 7 on this part. The only defendant in this case, the driver of the truck, shortly after the statement of the judgment, fell to the ground, seized with discomfort.
On March 29, on the last day of this trial for “involuntary homicides and injuries” where emotion invaded both sides of the bar, the prosecution had requested against the defendant, Mathieu Saurel, now 29 years, a five-year prison sentence, suspended for three years.