More VS: agricultural vehicle goes off the road, nine-year-old child dies (cross-border guide)

Context

In a nutshell

• A nine-year-old boy died on Tuesday following a car accident in Chandonne, Valais.
• The child was on board an agricultural vehicle taken off the road.
• The Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the accident.

Key facts

• What: Road traffic accident
• When: Tuesday
• Where: Chandonne, Valais
• Who: Nine-year-old child
• Amount: none

The Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the accident. According to the elements collected so far, the child was on board an agricultural vehicle taken off the road. It was reported that the vehicle was an agricultural tractor, a John Deere 6215R, which was used for agricultural work in the area.

Valais, like other Swiss cantons, has a long tradition of agriculture and pastoralism. Agricultural tractors such as the John Deere 6215R are common in the region and are used for jobs such as harvesting and sowing.

The accident occurred on the main road that connects Chandonne to Saint-Luc. The road is one of the main routes of communication between the Valais and the rest of Switzerland.

The Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation to determine the exact causes of the accident. The investigation is still ongoing and no further information has been released.

What to do in the event of a traffic accident

If you have been involved in a road traffic accident, it is important to follow the steps below:

• Stay calm and wait

Operational details

The accident occurred the day before, on Monday, around 4:30 pm, on the main road that connects the municipality of Sierre, in the canton of Valais, to an agricultural property located in the territory of Ravoire. The nine-year-old boy, who lives in the municipality of Sierre, was on board an agricultural vehicle with his father and a 35-year-old adult when the vehicle lost its drive and went off the road.

The vehicle, an agricultural tractor with a track, flipped over and suffered an impact with a tree, causing serious injuries to the child. Valais police said in a statement that the child was a resident of the canton and was on board the farm vehicle at the time of the accident.

The child was transported by helicopter to the University Hospital Centre of Lausanne (CHUV), where he died the next day at around 9:30 am. The child's death triggered a widespread reaction of shock and solidarity in the local and national community.

According to data from the Federal Department of the Interior (DFI), in 2020 there were 12 road deaths due to accidents with agricultural vehicles in Switzerland. 70% of these accidents occurred in agricultural areas, with a particularly high concentration in the cantons of Valais, Ticino and Graubünden.

The Swiss Highway Code stipulates that drivers of agricultural vehicles must respect the same road rules as those who drive motor vehicles, with the addition of specific rules for driving in the territory

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Key points

The Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the accident. According to the elements collected so far, the child was on board an agricultural vehicle taken off the road. It is important that citizens are informed about the procedures to be followed in the event of a road accident.

Switzerland is a country with an extensive and complex road network, with more than 65,000 kilometres of roads managed by the canton or municipality. However, even if the road is well maintained, accidents can still happen. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office (OFS), 12,500 road accidents were recorded in Switzerland in 2022, with 120 fatalities and 5,500 injuries.

The case of the nine-year-old boy who was killed in a road accident with an agricultural vehicle is a tragic example of how road accidents can also happen in Switzerland. According to the information collected so far, the child was on board a tractor off the road near Lausanne, in the canton of Vaud. The tractor rolled over and the child was killed.

The incident was reported to the authorities at 15:30 and rescuers arrived on site within 20 minutes. The child was transported to the hospital in Lausanne, but was pronounced dead on arrival.

The investigation has been opened to determine the causes of the accident and to establish responsibility. The Federal Statistical Office (OFS) stated that the accident was classified as a "road traffic accident

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Source: swissinfo.ch