Three Killed in Tragic Collision on A9 in Roquemaure After Driver Goes Wrong Way, Leading to Highway Closure between Orange and Montpellier for Several Hours.

An accident between three cars and a heavy goods vehicle caused the death of three people last night on the A9 motorway in the Lyon-Montpellier direction, in the Roquemaure sector. An octogenarian driving in the wrong direction hit a car and killed its two occupants. The A9 motorway, cut for several hours in the direction of Spain, reopened at 2 p.m.

The accident took place early this Saturday, February 18 on the A9 motorway in the Roquemaure sector, towards Spain. When help arrived, the toll was heavy: three men aged 83, 37 and 31 died.

At 3:45 a.m., the firefighters of Gard intervened for a major traffic accident, on the A9 motorway, in the Lyon – Montpellier direction. Very quickly on the scene, the first rescue vehicles were confronted with an accident with high kinetics, involving three light vehicles and a heavy goods vehicle.

On the opposite side of the highway

According to initial findings, the octogenarian, who died in the accident, was driving in the wrong direction. He hit an oncoming car. The driver and passenger were killed in the frontal impact.

Another car and a truck were also involved in this pile-up.

According to the firefighters, a shocked 50-year-old man and a 16-year-old teenager were taken care of by the medico-psychological emergency unit. The truck driver, a 25-year-old man, was unharmed.

About thirty firefighters intervened with four ambulances, two roadside rescue vehicles, three command vehicles and a fire protection vehicle, supplemented by two SMUR crews.

The A9 motorway remained closed to traffic in the Roquemaure sector towards Spain for several hours this Saturday February 18 to allow the evacuation of vehicles, the cleaning of the roadway and the repair of the guardrail on about 100 meters.

Diversions on the A9 and on the A7 remained in place for several hours. Vinci Autoroutes announced the end of the lane cuts and diversions at 2 p.m.

A survey for specify the circumstances of the accident is in progress, carried out by the gendarmes of the Orange motorway platoon, under the authority of the public prosecutor of Avignon.