Fatal scooter accident in Lyon: a white march organized for the two victims

Europe 1 with AFP 6:16 p.m., August 27, 2022

"It's not just a news item, it raises a lot of questions": around 600 people gathered in Lyon on Saturday, in an atmosphere of sadness and indignation, for a white march in honor of the miners killed by an ambulance on Monday while riding a scooter.

"This event is traumatic"

Iris was 15 and Warren, 17, when a private ambulance going on an intervention crashed into them on Monday shortly after 6 p.m., 5 Quai du Maréchal Joffre in the second arrondissement of Lyon.

They were traveling on a single scooter on a lane reserved for buses and unregistered two-wheelers.

"I am upset, this event is traumatic," said AFP Françoise, 77, who did not wish to give her last name.

"This accident relaunches the debate around the sharing of traffic between cars and two wheels," she continued, irises in hand distributed by the organizers of the white march whose departure was from Place Bellecour.

"There are measures to be taken, we must not wait for it to happen again", castigates Pascal Najar, 49, looking for a job.

600 people present

At the head of the procession: friends of Iris and Warren, some in tears, others trying to contain their emotion.

Behind them, 600 people, according to the prefecture, cluttered with flowers, photos of the two teenagers and balloons which will be released into the sky once they arrive at the scene of the tragedy.

Some cannot hide their anger.

The ambulance driver, accustomed to traffic violations, was in possession of a probationary license at 2 out of 8 points after a suspension.

"It revolts me, I wonder why someone who is on the road all day could only have two points left on their license and continue to practice," scolded Christelle L., a hospital service worker from 52 years old, clinging to a bouquet of white roses.

The paramedic was indicted and placed under judicial control on Wednesday "with in particular the ban on driving any motorized land vehicle", according to the prosecution.

13 fatal accidents involving two-wheeled vehicles in the Rhône since 2019

Recalling having introduced a speed limit of 30 km/h in Lyon in March, the mayor of the city, Grégory Doucet, for his part affirmed on France Info to think about "specific measures which could be taken to avoid future this kind of misfortune".

For Jacques Senges, 80, a retiree living near the scene of the tragedy, "everyone drives too fast in Lyon and there are more and more accidents".

Since 2019 (excluding 2022), there have been 13 fatal accidents involving two-wheeled vehicles in the department (10 bicycles, 2 electrically assisted bicycles and 1 electric scooter), the prefecture of Rhone.