A 41-year-old Portuguese woman died following a road collision involving a motorcycle in Niort, France, on Tuesday.
The incident occurred when the woman, riding a motorcycle, was struck by a car executing a U-turn maneuver to avoid slow-moving traffic.
The accident happened at 8:30 a.m. local time (7:30 a.m. in Lisbon). Despite emergency services’ intervention, the Portuguese emigrant succumbed to her injuries.
The car’s driver, a 57-year-old man, was taken to Niort hospital for assessment.
On Wednesday, French prosecutor Sophie Lacote stated that an investigation for involuntary manslaughter had been launched. “The driver executed a U-turn upon encountering a slow traffic road, cutting across the motorcycle coming from the opposite direction,” she said.
The driver was questioned and released “pending further technical investigations.” He was not under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
According to regional media, the woman, a Niort resident, was originally from Chacim, in Refojos, Cabeceiras de Basto.
