• The accident that occurred Wednesday morning on the A7 motorway completely paralyzed traffic in the Lyon region.

  • Some motorists were stuck for seven hours in traffic without water.

  • They testify to

    20 Minutes

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An apocalyptic situation.

The collision between a heavy goods vehicle transporting hazardous materials and a car, which occurred late Wednesday morning on the A7 motorway near Chasse-sur-Rhône, led to the closure of the structure and monstrous traffic jams.

Sabine, 42, who works at the mother-child hospital in Bron, had to take her pain patiently to return home to Chanas (Isère).

Far from suspecting the ordeal that awaited him.

“I saw the signs indicating that you had to follow the direction of Grenoble, which I did.

But in Saint-Priest, everything was blocked.

I stayed 2h30 at the stop, she testifies.

Then, I wanted to take the Ternay exit to branch off in the direction of Vienne.

And there, the same, impossible to move forward.

“Panic wins:” I had almost no gas, no battery on the phone, I could not warn anyone.

It was a nightmare”.

Nightmare which continued at the entrance to Vienna, where she tried to take small streets to avoid monstrous traffic jams.

In the end: “4h30 to get back instead of an hour when I go through the national.

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Six hours without water in the heat wave

Dylan, 18, also almost cracked.

Six hour wait on the highway.

Six hours to cover a handful of kilometres.

“It was complicated.

It was 34 degrees in the sun.

On the Internet, they said that there was a water supply but we never saw any,” he explains.

Originally from Montélimar (Drôme), the young man and his friends had planned to go to Lyon to attend the same evening at the PNL concert.

“We got back on the highway at noon, we came out at 6 p.m.

When we learned that the concert was finally canceled, we wondered what we were doing there, ”he continues.

The small band nevertheless continued on its way to Lyon, where it had rented hotel rooms.

“In total, we took more than 7 hours instead of an hour and a half… But we held on with the music and in the mind”, he smiles.

“The accident happened at 11:30 am, the motorway entrances were still not condemned at 1 pm”, enrages Laurent on Twitter.

He too got stuck for long hours, taking three hours to complete 8 kilometers.

“Four hours to cover 60 kilometres… Record beaten”, jokes Adèle in her turn, who saw motorists trying to turn around before the Reventin-Vaugris tollbooth.

"Some were forced to go on foot to fetch water from local residents or from nearby businesses."

“If I had known, I would have stayed in Lyon where I have family”, supports Sabine who had not been aware of the accident before leaving her job.

“I don't understand why no alternative route has been put in place.

Really, I experienced it very badly, ”she adds.

Company

Lyon: Accident on the A7 between a heavy goods vehicle carrying hazardous materials and a car, the highway closed until Thursday morning

Company

Lyon: The A7 reopens in both directions after the accident which interrupted traffic

  • Company

  • Road accident

  • highway

  • Lyons

  • Isere

  • Testimony

  • Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes