A 71-year-old man died and several people were injured Monday morning in a rear-end collision involving around 30 vehicles on the A72 north of Saint-Etienne (Loire), an accident possibly related to ice, we learned from firefighters and Win Highways. The provisional toll is one dead and three people in absolute emergency, according to the Departmental Service of Firefighters (Sdis), which sent 80 firefighters with 35 vehicles to the scene.
Several other people were injured in a more minor way, added the prefecture of the Loire, which advises motorists to avoid the accident area, to freely access the emergency services and to exercise caution given the weather conditions, especially on the road surface frozen . The accident occurred near Veauchette, in the direction of Saint-Etienne, between a heavy vehicle and several cars.
The A72 was closed to traffic in both directions for approximately 6.40am between exits number 7 (Montbrison) and number 8 (Andrézieux-Bouthéon), specifies the operator Vinci Autoroutes, and is expected to remain so for several hours. Lieutenant Colonel Didier Michaud, of Sdis-42, told AFP that “the highway will be kept closed to traffic in both directions until at least noon, for the evacuation of all damaged vehicles and for the needs of the investigations of the gendarmerie”.
According to Bison Futé, a total of 23 light vehicles and 6 heavy vehicles were involved in the accident. The mayor of Andrézieux-Bouthéon François Driol has made available a town hall “to accommodate around twenty shipwrecked travellers”, he explained.
The #firefighters intervene in a traffic accident in progress #A72 direction Clermont/Saint-Étienne before the Veauchette toll booth. 90 #firefighters, 41 cars including 12 ambulances on site. Motorway closed in both directions, avoid sector, free access for emergency services, be careful on the road. pic.twitter.com/9caxKvrvtO
– Firefighters of the Loire / SDIS 42 (@sdis42) December 5, 2022
