Edition of Besançon | A truck crosses the A36: 1 dead, 5 wounded

A spectacle of desolation. At the level of the municipality of Voillans (Doubs), the highway had false airs of war scene, this Friday afternoon, with this burnt carcbad truck, under which were embedded two cars. Aluminum tubes – the loading of the heavy weight – strewed the ground

The shock, frontal, was terrible. It was about 3 pm when the truck deviated from its course, to cross the median and hit two vehicles in reverse. Very quickly, all ignited, the flames spreading even to the scrub along the roadway.

70 firefighters mobilized

Exceptional situation, exceptional device: in addition to SMUR means, nearly 70 firefighters (32 machines in total) were mobilized on this accident. To help the victims, of course, but also to control the burning of crushed vehicles and vegetation

The human toll is heavy. A motorist trapped under the heavy weight was declared dead from the beginning of the intervention. His charred body did not allow, this Friday in the evening, a formal identification. The authorities also reported three serious injuries and two minor injuries.

It should be noted that, apart from the victim, the occupants of the three vehicles involved in the accident were all released in time by other motorists. present at the time of the tragedy, before the fire destroys everything. Only one person involved in the collision survives unscathed.

In the sky, three different helicopters made rotations: that of the SAMU, that of the Civil Security and that of the gendarmes. The latter was responsible in particular for badessing the damage and to raise the size of the A36 on both sides of the disaster area.

Approximately fifteen cumulative kilometers of traffic jams were recorded around 17 h. In view of the heat, the APRR motorway company distributed bottles of water to motorists trapped in traffic jams. The mayor of Voillans has also provided water relief ..

The hypothesis of a tire burst

The gendarmes, they began their investigation work from the secure site. Fueled by the first testimonies, the track of the bursting of a truck tire is explored. Which would have provoked his dramatic exit from the road. The upcoming hearing of the driver – from Eastern Europe – will be precious. Technical investigations were also planned on the scene of the accident

Under the effect of the flames at very high temperatures, the road was very damaged, especially in the direction Beaune-Mulhouse. Work on asphalt was planned all night long. Some sixty workers were to be mobilized. The damaged section will remain closed until Saturday afternoon. An alternating circulation should be established around 8:30 am on a single section, the one in the Mulhouse-Beaune direction.