Investigators are trying to determine how the driver was able to get over barriers and crash into the door of the sports centre.
Keystone-SDA
An 80-year-old driver lost control of her vehicle and crashed into several children aged around ten on Saturday in Thônex, Geneva. Six children were injured, two of them seriously.
The driver, who was also seriously injured, died shortly afterwards.
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The octogenarian died of her injuries in hospital, the Geneva Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday evening, confirming a report on Swiss public radio RTS.
The woman entered the Sous-Moulin sports centre by mistake when she was trying to access the P+R car park. She was driving quite fast, the Geneva public prosecutor’s office explained at a press briefing.
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The ongoing investigation will have to determine how the driver was able to get through a barrier, climb a ramp, cross a pedestrian esplanade before breaking down the entrance door to the sports centre. The public prosecutor in charge of the investigation immediately went to the scene.
The children, aged around ten, were taking part in a basketball lesson and had come out of the sports hall to drink. Four of them were injured, two very seriously and two more slightly. An adult accompanying the children was also slightly injured.
Children hospitalised in Geneva
The alarm was raised at 10.19am. Two police patrols quickly arrived on the scene and provided first aid to the injured. All of the injured were taken to Geneva University Hospitals (HUG).
In all, eight police vehicles, two ambulances, a Rega helicopter and six fire brigade vehicles were involved.
Translated from French by DeepL/gw
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