The SNCF was indicted for manslaughter, nearly six years after the tragedy. In October 2016, a teenager was hit by a TER at a level crossing in Wavrin, in the North. The national company SNCF, as the parent company, and SNCF Réseau were indicted in April in this case, according to the communication from the SNCF, we learned on Wednesday from the SNCF and the family, confirming information from France 3 Hauts-de-France.
“This indictment which has been long overdue is a great satisfaction and the result of a long fight”, that of the parents of the 15-year-old teenager, reacted their lawyer, Me Quentin Lebas. On October 17, 2016, the high school student died after being hit by a train at the level crossing at Wavrin station, while crossing the tracks to take the train that was to take him to high school.
According to the story of his family, who has since been fighting to make this level crossing more secure, if the half-barriers for cars were then lowered, the passage of pedestrians remained possible.
A “lamentable security”, according to the mother
The teenager’s train was slightly ahead of schedule while the train that hit him was late and the boy was forced to use this level crossing to get to the platform where his train was departing from, further reports family.
“As a mother, the indictment was a real recognition that Nicolas was indeed a victim of lamentable security at the Wavrin level crossing and not a teenager who had done anything”, welcomed the mother of the victim, Muriel Danel.
For the family, the work carried out since the accident on this level crossing, where according to her a motorist also lost his life two years after the teenager, remains very insufficient. “We are asking for four half-barriers and an underground so that pedestrians, strollers, cyclists, TER users can get to either side of the level crossing in complete safety. »