A 44-year-old man has been convicted of manslaughter after a 2022 skiing collision at Flaine Resort in France. The incident resulted in the death of a 5-year-old girl who was part of a ski school lesson. The convicted skier was given a 12-month suspended term and ordered to pay €165,000 in damages to the family.
This means the convicted skier will only serve time in prison if he commits another offense during the year-long suspension.
“The child was in a queue behind the group and was about to make a right turn when she was very violently hit by a skier going at high speed who tried in vain to avoid her,” according to a 2022 statement from the local Bonneville prosecutor’s office.
It was revealed that the man was traveling 60 km/h (37 mph) when he collided with the child. Both of them slid far down the slope following the incident. The man, who was a trained volunteer firefighter, administered first aid before the child was taken via helicopter to Sallanches Hospital. The girl was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The original version of this story appeared on The Inertia.
Lawyer: ‘Tragic Accident’
In court, the defendant admitted his speed was inappropriate, considering that he was in a crowded area near the beginner-friendly blue run. His lawyer said his client was generally a cautious skier, calling the collision a “tragic accident.”
The accident occurred the same week as another fatal skiing accident in which actor Gaspard Ulliel died. Both incidents drew significant attention to safety on beginner slopes at resorts.
In particular, the “Serpentine” slope where the young girl died has been modified to improve sight lines. Signage has also been added to remind skiers of stricter speed enforcement. Investigators in this case pointed out that the man likely had difficulty seeing the young girl because a snow bump appeared to cover her.
“There will always be some people who think they are alone on the slopes. When we see people who are a danger to others [we] explain our way of seeing,” Bernard Pascal-Mousselard, chairman of the National Association of Piste Directors and of the Security of Winter Resorts, told Le Dauphiné libéré back in 2022.
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