The driver of a heavy truck, a 30-year-old Polish man residing in France, has been charged with manslaughter following a deadly collision with a TGV on Tuesday morning in Bully-les-Mines, Pas-de-Calais. The train driver, in his fifties, was killed, and 16 people were injured on board with no life-threatening conditions. Béthune's prosecutor cited « serious and consistent evidence » to justify the charge.
The crash occurred at 06:47 at the Bully-les-Mines level crossing, between a Dunkerque-Paris TGV traveling at 160 km/h and a heavy truck carrying a military mobile bridge as part of an exceptional convoy. The truck driver, who tested negative for alcohol and drugs, was unharmed and had been placed in custody after the incident.
On Wednesday, Béthune prosecutor Étienne Thieffry announced the driver's charging with manslaughter, punishable by up to seven years in prison, and his placement under judicial supervision. A judicial investigation is also open for road injuries and deliberate breach of safety obligations. The lead car's driver was heard as a witness.
Besides the TGV driver's death, 16 passengers were injured. SNCF CEO Jean Castex stated the level crossing was operating normally. Traffic on the Lens-Béthune line should resume on April 18, pending site clearance.
France's Transport Ministry recorded 89 level crossing accidents in 2024, including 32 significant ones that year and 37 in 2025.
