TGV fatal derailment in France: year suspended jail term for driver
‘This accident was the result of failure across the board,’ the prosecutor summarised in court
The driver was found guilty of manslaughter and “unintentional injury caused by carelessness, negligence or failure to fulfil a safety obligation”olrat/Shutterstock
The driver of a TGV that derailed near Strasbourg in 2015, killing 11, has been handed a one-year suspended prison sentence. Rail operator SNCF has been ordered to pay a fine of €400,000.
The court made the order on May 13, after two and a half months of court proceedings in Paris.
The driver was found guilty of manslaughter and “unintentional injury caused by clumsiness, carelessness, negligence or failure to fulfil a safety obligation”. He was responsible for determining the precise point at which to brake safely, the court heard. “What is striking is the total lack of rigour,” said the prosecutor in his closing remarks.
The public prosecutor also ordered a fine of €400,000 for SNCF; €225,000 for its subsidiary Systra, which is in charge of brake testing; and €300,000 for SNCF Réseau.
“This accident was the result of failure across the board,” the prosecutor said.
The driver was at the controls when the TGV (train à grande vitesse) derailed at Eckwersheim (Bas-Rhin), on the LGV Est line north of Strasbourg, on November 14, 2015. The accident killed 11 people and injured 21.
Employees of SNCF, Systra and SNCF Réseau have appeared in court in connection with the accident. The hearing is set to conclude on May 16.
Each defendant has denied responsibility for the accident and been accused of a lack of clarity by victims and their families.
