French motorway deaths: woman, 40 ‘probably on family holiday from UK’

A woman who died in a car crash on the A26 motorway in Pas-de-Calais on Sunday (July 30) is believed to have been on holiday in France from the UK with her family, officials say.

The crash happened around 18:00 on the motorway in the Calais direction in an area undergoing roadworks. The regional media France Bleu states that the traffic was travelling in two directions on the same side of the road, with cones in between.

Three vehicles collided: a UK-registered minivan carrying a British family of seven and two cars carrying four people each.

The 40-year-old British woman and two people in the second car – a man aged 45 and a woman aged 75 – died in the accident. Six others, from the minivan and the second car, were transported to hospital. The occupants of the third car had only minor injuries and were not hospitalised.

The public prosecutor’s office in Arras, which is investigating, told The Connexion this morning (August 1) that one person, a French person who was travelling in the second car, is still considered to have life-threatening injuries and several other people were also badly injured but their lives are no longer at risk.

Questions have not yet been asked of the British family, as the priority is to treat their injuries, said the vice-public prosecutor. “But it would seem they were either going on holiday or coming back from one, as there was baggage in the car.”

Around 65 pompiers attended the accident scene with nine ambulances and two road rescue vehicles, as well as three Samu vehicles and two teams of gendarmes.

Prefecture issues advice to drivers

Following the accident the Pas-de-Calais prefecture issued general safety advice for people driving on holiday this summer:

• Prepare your vehicle: check the condition and pressure of the tyres on your car, caravan or trailer, secure your luggage on the roof racks or in the trailers, watch out for overloading and top up the oil, brake fluid, coolant and windscreen washer fluid levels
• Find out about traffic conditions and the weather forecast for the entire journey
• Avoid getting drowsy at the wheel: be well rested before setting off, stop regularly, take plenty of water, do not fight fatigue, and take a break every two hours
• Stay focused on driving: programme your GPS before setting off and do not use it while driving as it can distract you just as much as typing or reading a text message

Read also

Two-in-five young people admit to throwing litter on French motorways

Woman in France loses €1,300 in online car hire scam