France school bus crash: Seven-year-old among two killed, several injured after driver 'dozes off'

A seven-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man were killed on Friday after a bus carrying schoolchildren crashed in eastern France when its driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel. Three people were critically injured, while around 20 others sustained less serious injuries in the Friday morning accident near the village of Lent, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said.

The 26-year-old driver, who is currently in police custody, told authorities that he must have ‘dozed off’, prosecutor Karine Malara said. "When he woke up, he found himself on the other side of the road and collided with several trees lining the roadside, before coming to a halt in the ravine," she added. The bus was travelling from Lyon to Bourg-en-Bresse with 43 passengers on board, including 15 minors who were heading to school, prosecutors said.

Regional weekly La Voix de l'Ain published a photograph showing the white-and-blue bus lying in a ditch, with its front end severely damaged. A 17-year-old survivor described the scene inside the bus, saying it was covered with shattered glass and blood. Tree branches had entered the vehicle, while broken mobile phones were scattered across the floor. The bus had passed through Lent shortly before the driver suddenly changed direction. "The driver made a very sharp turn of the wheel," the student told reporters.

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She said they had been travelling in the right-hand lane before the bus moved into the left-hand lane. “Then we went straight into a ditch.” "All the windows burst open," she said. “We all got out through the windows or through the middle of the bus because it had opened up.” The teenager added that she and other survivors tried to help as many people as possible following the crash.

An investigation into homicide by vehicle has been opened. The driver, who had to be freed from the wreckage, underwent drug screening tests. According to Tabarot, the initial results appear to be negative. Prosecutors said the driver was hospitalised with leg injuries. Jean-Francois Debat, mayor of Bourg-en-Bresse, described the road as well maintained. A victim support group said many people were in shock. Those affected were receiving assistance at the town hall, where a psychological support unit had been established.

Accidents involving public transport are relatively uncommon in France. The country's deadliest road disaster occurred in August 1982, when a motorway pile-up caused several vehicles to catch fire, including a coach carrying children to a summer camp. The tragedy claimed 53 lives in total, including 46 children.