Severe Collision in Tournon-sur-Rhône: Two Septuagenarians Critically Injured in Car and Truck Crash

Tournon-sur-Rhône, France—Two elderly individuals sustained life-threatening injuries Wednesday afternoon following a violent collision between a passenger car and a heavy commercial truck on a regional thoroughfare.

The incident occurred along Departmental Road 86 near the northern entrance of the municipality. Emergency dispatchers mobilized fire and rescue teams after receiving multiple calls reporting a passenger vehicle trapped under the front cab of an articulated heavy transport lorry.

Rescue workers deployed specialized hydraulic cutting tools to liberate the two occupants pinned inside the crushed passenger cabin. Firefighters worked for nearly an hour to remove the vehicle's roof and steering assembly without causing further spinal trauma to the trapped victims.

Medical teams from the Emergency Medical Assistance Service evaluated both septuagenarians at the scene, diagnosing severe multi-system trauma and internal hemorrhaging. Air ambulance helicopters were requested to facilitate rapid transport to the regional trauma center in Valence.

The driver of the heavy goods vehicle escaped physical injury but was treated for acute shock at the scene by paramedics. Gendarmerie officers administered routine breathalyzer and drug screening tests to the truck operator as part of mandatory traffic collision protocols.

Traffic along Departmental Road 86 ground to a complete halt as gendarmes closed both lanes to allow emergency medical helicopters to land directly on the pavement. Municipal road workers established detour routes around the crash zone, diverting regional transport traffic through neighboring secondary roads.

Accident reconstruction specialists began documenting tire skid marks, vehicle impact points, and road surface conditions to determine why the passenger car crossed into oncoming traffic lanes. Preliminary weather reports indicated clear visibility and dry pavement at the moment of the crash.

Heavy recovery vehicles towed both crushed chassis from the roadway by late afternoon. Emergency crews washed chemical fluids from the asphalt before municipal authorities reopened the departmental highway to normal traffic