Three people, including two teenagers and a 39-year-old man, were killed in a road accident in northern France. Two other 15-year-olds were seriously injured. The head-on collision occurred overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday in the town of Libercourt in the Pas-de-Calais department. One of the vehicles, driven by a 15-year-old driver and carrying four teenagers, was reportedly traveling at over 150 km/h according to police. Around twenty firefighters were dispatched to the rescue operation.

Fatalities and injuries

Three people died: a 39-year-old man and two 15-year-old passengers from the second car. The two remaining 15-year-olds from the same vehicle were seriously injured, with one of them in life-threatening condition.

Underage driver and excessive speed

The vehicle carrying four teenagers was driven by a 15-year-old boy. Preliminary examinations indicate that the Volkswagen Golf was traveling at over 150 km/h before the collision.

Location and course of the accident

The head-on collision occurred around 2:45 AM overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday on the departmental road boulevard Ferdinand Darchicourt (RD 954) in Libercourt. The impact was so strong that one car crashed into a tree, and the other was completely overturned.

Overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, around 2:45 AM, a tragic road accident occurred in the town of Libercourt in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais, claiming three lives. The head-on collision between two vehicles on the departmental road boulevard Ferdinand Darchicourt (RD 954) was exceptionally violent. One car contained four 15-year-old teenagers, with a peer of theirs behind the wheel of this Volkswagen Golf. The other car was driven by a lone 39-year-old man. Information from local emergency services and police indicates that two passengers from the car with the teenagers and the 39-year-old man died at the scene. The two remaining 15-year-olds, who were also in the Golf, were seriously injured. They were taken to the University Hospital (CHR) in Lille, with one of them in critical condition. According to Daniel Kania, deputy mayor of Libercourt, who arrived at the accident scene, the force of the impact was enormous. „The first car, with the 39-year-old man, was crushed into a tree, it went inside. And the car with the four young people was completely flipped over on its roof” – he reported. Police preliminarily point to excessive speed as the probable cause of the accident. The vehicle with the teenagers is believed to have been traveling at over 150 km/h at the moment of the head-on collision with the other car. Around twenty-five firefighters worked at the scene. They had to use specialized equipment to extract (perform desankracji) the victims' bodies from the crushed cars. An investigation has been launched to determine the exact circumstances of the incident, including verifying whether the 15-year-old driver had any authorization to drive a vehicle.In France, the minimum age to obtain a category B driver's license, which allows driving a passenger car, is 18. It is possible to start driver training at age 16 under the "conduite accompagnée" (accompanied driving) program, but the driver must then always drive under the supervision of an adult with a valid license. Therefore, independent driving by a 15-year-old is a serious offense.

Mentioned People

  • Daniel Kania — Deputy mayor of Libercourt, who commented on the accident scene.