French bus driver charged after fatal crash
The driver is being prosecuted after Friday’s accident in which two passengers died.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
A French bus driver was charged on Sunday with involuntary manslaughter and causing injuries after a fatal crash near Lent, in the Ain department. Two passengers were killed in the collision. According to French media, dozens of people were injured.
According to the public prosecutor’s office in Bourg-en-Bresse, the driver was charged. The prosecutor’s office said he has been temporarily banned from driving any vehicle. The legal classification does not mean his guilt has been established; the investigation is still under way.
According to French media, the accident occurred on Friday 6 November on the D22 departmental road near Lent, north-east of Lyon. Reports said an intercity bus travelling between Lyon and Bourg-en-Bresse left the road. Two occupants died; French media reported that they were a seven-year-old girl and an 18-year-old man.
French authorities initially reported 16 people injured. French media later reported that four people were in a critical condition and 23 had minor injuries. Those figures may still be adjusted during the investigation.
According to the prosecutor, the driver said he may have fallen asleep. That is an avenue of investigation, not an established motive or proven cause. The driver was himself injured and questioned after receiving medical treatment.
The accident is receiving extra attention because France has discussed the safety of bus and school transport more frequently in recent years. For now, it is not known whether fatigue, technical problems or other circumstances were decisive. The next step is the judicial investigation into what happened.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The charges and main facts have been confirmed by multiple independent sources. The possible cause has been presented as an unproven avenue of investigation.
- confirmed The driver has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and causing injuries. — Reported by TF1 Info and Le Progrès. source
- confirmed Two passengers were killed in the accident. — Confirmed by AP and French media. source
- uncertain The driver may have fallen asleep. — According to the prosecutor, this was a statement by the driver, not an established cause. source