Tragic Bus Crash in Ain Department: Young Girl and Teenager Killed, Driver Detained After Falling Asleep at the Wheel

On the morning of Friday, November 6, France experienced a devastating traffic accident that claimed two lives and injured approximately 15 others after an intercity bus veered off the road and crashed into a tree inside a ditch along departmental road D22 in the commune of Lent, located in the Ain department, about 10 kilometers south of Bourg-en-Bresse.

Heavy Toll and Mobilization of Emergency Services

The accident occurred around 7:30 a.m. involving a bus operating a regular route between the cities of Lyon and Bourg-en-Bresse. There were 49 people on board, including about 15 school pupils on their way to class. Ain Public Prosecutor Karine Malara confirmed during a press briefing that the fatalities included a 7-year-old girl and an 18-year-old young man, alongside approximately 15 injured passengers, four of whom were in critical condition (urgence absolue) and two fighting for their lives.

Immediately following the disaster, authorities mobilized substantial resources, including 102 firefighters backed by 58 emergency vehicles, 50 national gendarmes, four helicopters, and eight mobile emergency and resuscitation service (SMUR) teams. The department's prefect activated the Departmental Operational Center (COD) to manage the crisis. The municipality of Lent implemented its municipal safeguard plan, accommodating the passengers' families at the town hall while providing a psychological support unit and a toll-free emergency hotline (09 70 80 90 40).

Driver Admits to Drowsiness as Judicial Investigation Opens

The prosecutor's office announced that the 26-year-old bus driver was placed in police custody at the hospital where he is receiving medical care, following his admission to investigators that he briefly dozed off and fell asleep at the wheel. The Prefect of Ain noted that preliminary tests conducted on the driver for alcohol and narcotics were completely negative. Meanwhile, Minister of Transport Philippe Tabarot, who visited the scene of the accident, confirmed that the bus was in excellent mechanical condition and had successfully passed all routine technical inspections.

A 17-year-old student survivor recounted the terrifying ordeal, describing how the bus suddenly swerved from the right lane into the left before tumbling into the ditch, adding that passengers were forced to escape through broken windows. The public prosecutor's office launched an urgent investigation into charges of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated involuntary injuries resulting from a road traffic collision, assigning the case to the Lyon Gendarmerie Research Section.

Widespread Official Solidarity

The tragedy prompted widespread shock across France and among daily and school transport commuters. French President Emmanuel Macron conveyed a message of condolence on the social media platform X, expressing full solidarity with the victims, the injured, and their families. For his part, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu expressed his profound grief over the tragedy, while National Education Minister Édouard Geffray offered his condolences and support to the affected students and their loved ones in the wake of this painful loss.