A serious accident caused widespread fear in Villemoutiers, in the Loiret region. In the early evening, around 7 p.m., a school bus carrying 34 high school students left the road and ended up in a ditch, overturned onto its left side…
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The bus took the students home at the end of their school day.
Despite the force of the impact, no fatalities were reported. A true miracle, given the circumstances. Of the 35 people on board, 14 – including the driver – had to be rushed to the hospital. Most of the injured suffered fractures to their wrists or ankles, or required further examination. The 21 other passengers, unharmed, were able to return home that evening on a replacement bus chartered by the region.
Emergency services were immediately alerted and deployed significant resources. No fewer than 58 firefighters, around twenty gendarmes, and two SMUR (Emergency Medical and Resuscitation Service) teams responded to the scene. A medical tent was set up to treat the injured on site.
Faced with the emotion aroused by the accident, several local and regional figures quickly arrived: Christiane Burgevin, the mayor of Villemoutiers, Régis Castro, the sub-prefect of Montargis, as well as François Bonneau, president of the Centre-Val de Loire Region.
According to initial findings of the investigation, the 52-year-old driver reportedly suffered a medical episode while driving, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. The man, considered reliable by his employer, underwent toxicology tests to check for the possible presence of illicit substances in his system. At this stage, no wrongdoing has been alleged against him.
