Overview
- On Tuesday evening near Saint-Vivien/Châtelaillon-Plage, the driver suffered a sudden medical emergency on a four-lane road while returning from a theater outing to La Rochelle.
- He pulled over, parked the coach, and evacuated 42 students and four accompanying adults before collapsing.
- Emergency services were alerted at 21:21 and firefighters performed roughly an hour of CPR, but the driver was pronounced dead.
- The pupils were received at the Saint-Vivien municipal hall by local officials and a doctor, then taken back to their lycée by a replacement Yélo bus.
- Authorities and families praised the driver’s actions; psychological support was offered to those affected, with reports that he had vomited blood and may have had prior health issues.