Emotions have been running high in Rennes since the announcement of the death of Jérôme Armbruster. Aged 53, the man who was known to be the president of HelloWork (formerly called Regionsjob) was mowed down while crossing a pedestrian crossing with his bicycle during the night from Thursday to Friday. Aged 20, the driver of the Renault Clio who killed him was arrested a few hours later. Toxicological analyzes showed that he had consumed cocaine, cannabis and that he was intoxicated at the time of the events. After the accident, which occurred on the Lorient road, the driver, who did not have a driving license, fled on foot.
Indicted for manslaughter and drunk driving, the motorist was placed in pre-trial detention. “He expressed regret, believing that his behavior was unforgivable,” said Rennes public prosecutor Philippe Astruc. He will be summoned to court in March. He faces a sentence of ten years in prison.
Passenger behavior will be studied
The prosecution specifies that a separate investigation, entrusted to the Pacé gendarmerie brigade, was opened under the qualification of failure to assist a person in danger. Justice wants to look into the behavior of the other people present in the vehicle following the accident.
The announcement of the death of the president of HelloWork provoked a shower of tributes, from the mayor Nathalie Appéré to the leaders of Stade Rennais through the entire Rennes economic ecosystem. Jérôme Armbruster co-founded Regionsjob in 2000 in Rennes. Renamed HelloWork, the company has grown significantly to become the French leader in job and recruitment sites. It employs more than 500 people.