Cyclist death: How did no-licence French driver hire a Lamborghini?
The 52-year-old cyclist was killed instantly when the supercar hit him at over 70 km/h
Questions have been asked about how a driver without a valid licence was able to hire such a powerful car (stock image for illustration only)
Alexandre Prevot/Shutterstock
A 52-year-old cyclist has been killed in southeast France after being hit by a hired Lamborghini sports car, which was being driven by a 25-year-old without a valid driving licence.
The incident happened on September 1 in Avignon (Vaucluse), and has prompted questions about how a driver without a licence came to be driving a hire car (and such a powerful one).
The car was speeding down the city’s fast lane, well over the speed limit of 70 km/h. The male cyclist was hit, dragged a few metres, and died instantly.
The driver and his sister, who was a passenger, fled the scene. The driver handed himself in voluntarily to a local police station the next day, where he was taken into custody.
He tested negative for alcohol and drugs, but was found to have been driving without a licence, after his was suspended until December.
Read also: 30% rise in cyclist deaths in France and countryside is worst
Read also: Speed blamed after seven die in rural road accident in central France
How was a driver without a licence able to hire a car?
Unsurprisingly, the driver did not hire the car through the usual channels. He managed to get hold of the car via social media, using his existing licence, without disclosing that it was suspended.
Read also: Can I hire a car in France with a UK driving licence?
A lawyer specialising in road traffic law said that in this driver’s particular situation, it could be relatively easy to do.
“A driver who has had their driving licence suspended, but who has not immediately handed it in to the authorities, retains the licence physically, even if they are not allowed to drive,” the lawyer told La Dépêche.
In this case, the driver was able to hire a car and mislead the hire company, which did not have access to detailed information about this man’s situation.
The man and his sister are now set to be questioned by police over the incident. They risk being charged with aggravated manslaughter and failure to assist a person in danger.
If found guilty, French law states that aggravated manslaughter carries a penalty of up to seven years' imprisonment and €100,000 fine. If investigators find several aggravating circumstances - such as fleeing the scene, or other faults - the penalty can rise to 10 years' imprisonment and a €150,000 fine.
