They were playing tag on the esplanade. Two children were mowed down by a motorcycle on Friday 5 August at the foot of the towers of Hauts de Marcouville district in Pontoise (Val-d’Oise). The tragedy occurred between 9.15pm and 9.30pm between buildings 3 and 10, in the heart of the residence. After initially fleeing, the young driver finally made his way to the Pontoise police station on Saturday. At just 18, he was taken into custody.
The inhabitants were numerous to take advantage of the summer evening at the foot of the buildings on Friday, when the drama was bound. But while the children play and the adults chat, others take risks by riding motorbikes inside the residence. The two victims were at the basketball court when the car hit them violently. Immediately arriving at the scene, the firefighters and Samu 95 teams took care of a 10-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy. The little girl, suffering from a very serious head trauma, was transported to the Necker hospital (Paris XV) by the doctors of the emergency room, she was in an absolute emergency.
This Saturday, while being treated by the medical team, her vital prognosis was still involved.
An investigation is underway
The second victim, also seriously injured, was first taken to the Pontoise hospital center before finally being redirected to Amiens (Somme). The boy has an open fracture of the tibia and fibula. His conditions seemed to have stabilized the day after the events.
A police investigation has been opened to determine the exact circumstances of this terrible incident. A priori, a single motorcycle would be the cause of the two tremors. The driver, a young man from the neighbourhood, finally presented himself to the carabinieri on Saturday at 1.45 pm after fleeing with the help of other accomplices who were on the streets at the time. His custody could last 48 hours.
In the Marcouville district, the entire population is in shock. On social media we share his emotion. “It’s so sad,” the locals repeat. The city, in collaboration with the Pontoise hospital, set up a medico-psychological emergency unit this Saturday. Children and families in need of support were welcomed by the professionals of the La Baleine neighborhood center from 3.30pm to 3.30pm. “There is no anger, but consternation”, notes Anne Fromenteil, the deputy mayor present on the scene.
Urban rodeos unfortunately, here as in other urban neighborhoods, they are a recurring phenomenon when the good weather returns. “That’s why especially in spring or summer, I hardly ever walked with my little one, I was afraid of everything, one day it had to happen…”, testifies a father.
This Friday evening before the tragedy, the police had not been called by residents who had heard the noise of the engines. But this type of intervention is recurrent during the summer. “We are very busy fighting rodeos,” we explain to the departmental directorate of public safety. “As soon as we have reports, we send personnel. “Since the beginning of April, 534 operations of this type have taken place in the ward. At the same time, the agents made 37 arrests and 34 seizures of motorcycles. This is small compared to the number of trips. “But at least our arrival, if it doesn’t always lead to a kidnapping, helps put an end to the phenomenon”, the carabinieri point out. Every weekend, from spring to autumn, the forces of order carry out prevention and deterrence operations. This Saturday they were in Sarcelles and Argenteuil to identify two-wheelers with dangerous behavior in the neighborhoods. This Sunday, the towns of Sannois and Cergy-Saint-Christophe would have been targeted.
