It wasn’t the filming of an action movie on the M1 freeway in Pailles on Tuesday afternoon, December 26, but a very real event. A container truck, its cab and two front tires ablaze, was speeding towards Port-Louis. As it passed, it collided with at least seven vehicles, two of which caught fire. Nine people were injured. Fortunately, their condition is not cause for concern.
The accident occurred at around 12:18 on Tuesday December 26. From Sorèze, this container truck with a load of old scrap metal was travelling at high speed. Witnesses say it was travelling at over 90 kilometers per hour. The cab and two front tires were in flames. According to the driver’s initial testimony, his brakes had failed.
At the Saint Paul chapel in Pailles, he collided head-on with the 4×4 being driven by Zacharie Legentil, a 42-year-old resident of Cité Vallijee. The vehicle was thrown across the highway into the southbound lane. In the fall, the 4×4 landed on a car heading towards Bagatelle.
Still on its way, the container truck hit several cars, two of which caught fire, before coming to rest on its side with old scrap metal scattered over a distance of three hundred metres.
The impact and flames also caused partial damage to the footbridge over the freeway. The police were immediately alerted and rushed to the scene. Together with the fire department, they had to clear the road for several hours before traffic could return to normal. The accident caused a huge traffic jam for vehicles entering the capital.
