A fatal accident occurred in the night from Monday to Tuesday in Villeneuve-lès-Béziers, Hérault, where a high-cylinder car traveling at 256 km/h missed a roundabout before crashing into a tree. The 19-year-old driver died, while three passengers, including a minor, were seriously injured but are now out of life-threatening condition. A video on social media suggests a possible chase.
The accident took place in the village of Villeneuve-lès-Béziers in Hérault, as four young people, including a minor, were traveling from Béziers to Sérignan. The vehicle, a high-cylinder car registered in Switzerland and rented the day before by the 19-year-old driver who held a valid license, was speeding at 256 km/h, according to the speedometer frozen at the scene by officers from the Béziers police station.
The driver did not brake at the roundabout entrance, which acted like a ramp, launching the car 55 meters before it struck a tree five meters off the ground. The young man was extricated but died shortly after, preventing any tests for alcohol or drugs. “In the current state of the investigations, nothing indicates that he was driving under the influence of toxins, particularly nitrous oxide,” the Béziers prosecutor's office stated. An autopsy is scheduled for January 14.
The three passengers were rushed to hospital: two in absolute emergency and the third to Béziers hospital center. Their conditions have improved, and their lives are no longer in danger. Investigators found a video on social media filming the incident from a second vehicle, suggesting a street chase. An investigation for endangering the lives of others has been opened, alongside one for driving more than 50 km/h over the speed limit, now a criminal offense.
