Accident on the A7 : 5 children dead because of a mechanical failure

ACCIDENT A7 - The dramatic accident on the A7, causing the death of five children, would be related to a failure of the turbocharger of the Renault Scénic. Sum

Accident on the A7 : 5 children dead because of a mechanical failure

ACCIDENT A7 - The dramatic accident on the A7, causing the death of five children, would be related to a failure of the turbocharger of the Renault Scénic.

Summary the origin of The accident victims from the same family The vehicle, a Scénic not suitable ?

[updated the 22 July 2020 15: 00] The road accident — the cause of death of five children on Monday, on the A7 motorway in the Drôme — would be linked to a mechanical failure. According to BFMTV, the turbocharger Renault Grand Scénic, in which was riding the family, was "grilled". In their initial findings, the experts spoke of a failure of the turbo, which resulted in an over-revving and a runaway engine. De facto, the functions of assistance to the braking, in particular, have become unusable. Over-revving is also the origin of the fire after the engine oil has caught fire.

The thesis of the technical failure was privileged by the investigators. "Before falling into unconsciousness, the driver of the vehicle said that he had tried desperately to brake and the brakes are no longer met," reported the AFP Hugues Moutouh, prefect of the Drôme. On Tuesday, France 2 had referred to a delay in the technical control of the vehicle, it should have been done last may.

What is known about the circumstances of the accident

The accident on that stretch of highway at the level of Albon, in the north of the Drôme region, occurred in the early evening on Monday 20 July 2020. Nine people were aboard the vehicle : six children, between 3 and 14 years old, and three adults. The weather, calm Monday evening, does not seem to have been involved in the accident, which took place in the south to the north of the A7 motorway. According to the story of Alex Perrin, the prosecutor of the Republic of Valencia, the vehicle was "clearly" caught fire, before the driver lost control and it went "over". Tuesday morning, the prefect of the Drôme, has provided clarification. On the surveillance cameras, "we see the smoke, the vehicle starts taking fire. Obviously the driver has sought to put on the tape emergency stop. But the brakes have not worked", explained Hugues Moutouh on Franceinfo.

The accident victims are all from the same family

The accident occurred on Monday evening on the A7 motorway, therefore, has caused the death of five children, aged 3 to 14 years. In total, nine people were present in the vehicle. The other four, one child and three adults are injured and three of them, including the child, are in a state of absolute emergency. It is a native family of Vénissieux, in the suburbs of Lyon. The prosecutor of Valencia Alex Perrin reported that the driver, still alive, was the father of the family. He was travelling with his four children, their mother, and a sister-in-law with two children.

The vehicle, a Renault Scénic to only seven places
Date Of Update: 22 July 2020, 10:57
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