Skier Who killed British Child in Collision Guilty of Manslaughter
The accident happened in the French resort in 2022 on a blue slope, the Serpentine.
The child, Ophélie, was part of a group lesson led by a ski instructor.
She was at the back of the group when an out-of-control skier hit her at speed – around 60km/h (37 mph).
We reported on the incident at the time on PlanetSKI:
The 43-year-old man was given a 12-month suspended sentence by the Bonneville judicial court in Haute-Savoie.
He was ordered to pay €165,000 in damages to the child’s family.
She had fallen slightly behind the other children and was at the back of the group preparing to turn when she was hit.
They travelled a ‘considerable’ distance down the slope after impact.
She received first aid at the scene and was taken to Sallanches hospital where she was pronounced dead.
In court, the defendant acknowledged that his speed may have been inappropriate for the conditions.
The man is a volunteer firefighter and administered first aid to the girl after the accident.
His lawyer described him as an experienced and generally cautious skier and said it was simply a tragic accident.
The slope in question has been the site of several fatal accidents in recent years.
Since the incident the slope has been modified with improved visibility and prominent signage installed to encourage skiers to slow down.
Lawyers for the family criticised the length of the proceedings and aspects of the response in the immediate aftermath.
They said the legal case had compounded their grief.
They described themselves as ‘devastated’Â and ‘worn down’ by four years of investigation.
It brings into question the issue of people skiing out of control and what the authorities should do about it.
- Should the piste patrol take a more proactive approach to people who ski out of control?
- Should speed limits be introduced?
- Should lift passes be taken away?
- Should so-called ‘piste police/ be introduced?
- Should people be breathalysed?
- Should more there be more signage and safety barriers?
- Should more education be rolled out?
- Should the freedom to ski however you want be retained?
See this earlier PlanetSKI post on the issue:
Verbier Piste Patrol. Image © PlanetSKI
Feel free to comment on the PlanetSKI Facebook page.
Here are some observations:
Lesley Benson: What a tragedy and yes I agree with all points noted,however no matter how vigilant the ski instructor is they don’t have eyes in the back of their heads. I think they should have an adult at the rear of the class (as they do with any school outdoor classes) This does not need to be a qualified instructor just a vetted, responsible adult even on a voluntary basis.
Jackie Jones: My daughter was killed by a french boarder in the alps many years ago he came over a ledge and jumped into her sent her flying multiple injuries caused her death on the slope he was in a coma dor a week and was charged with homicidal manslaughter. As an avid skier I was never as confident after that. She was a good skier never stood a chance 18 years of age. The slopes need secret ski patrols to monitor safe skiing anyone skiing recklessly should have their pass confiscated no excuse.
Callum Michael: I know this piste like the back of my hand, it used to be even more dangerous a few years ago due to the rollers, ski school trains often wouldn’t be obviously visible when going over and if going at speed crashed would occur. This was a tragedy waiting to happen.
The run in question has a steep pitch coming down before the roller section that realistically would classify it as a red anywhere else but due to the lack of other blue pistes coming down from the top would push the choke point onto the adjacent Cristal piste. I can see how it was very easy to get up to those speeds for the crash to occur.
Steve Prince: I ski for about 70 days each season. The recklessness of MANY people, not just a few, is totally out of order. There should be ski police to suspend ski passes of such people.
Resorts should also be forced to limit the amount of people on the slopes. Alcohol should be banned from mountain restaurants. If people cannot go 7 hours without alcohol then they shouldn’t be skiing.
Chris Vernon: America’s /Canadas slopes are patrolled better than Europe, in all my years skiing in Europe I have never seen a ski patrol person stop anybody for skiing to fast/dangerously on any kind of slope in fact never seen anybody pulled for to many beers at lunch time.
Daran Rahill: 60km on a blue slope is wrong.
Lara Webber: Lots of people saying 60km is wrong. I would say, do you actually know how fast you are going, because in a v small closed off area for kids essentially, there was a speed gun. My 7 year old managed about 58km/hr, me around 60km/hr. My point is it doesn’t take much to be doing that speed. The bigger point is the number of totally out of control skiers, people jumping from off piste to on without looking uphill people making sudden turns immediately infront of you right across the slope with no perception of those around them. There do need tighter restrictions and quite honestly a basic tested level of safety to use the slopes as numbers of users increase year on year.
Kay Bates: I would welcome many of the things mentioned at the end of this article – piste patrols checking speeds and taking away ski passes, also signs about FIS code with perhaps a FIS code leaflet given with every ski pass sold. Many people are not in control when skiing and going far too fast. Too many people think that once they can move they no longet need lessons and ski outwith their capabilities. I watch everyone skiing from the chairlift as I ride uphill. I used to be one of GBRs world cup mogul ski judges so I can recognise the faults people make when skiing which could be improved by lessons. Please ski in control at all times, it is not clever to tuck down a crowded slope to see how fast you can go.
Victoria Brooks: I appreciate that we don’t have full information, but how is skiing at 60kmph on any piste that isn’t a closed race piste deemed anything but deliberately dangerous and likely to cause harm? And how is the sentence suspended – isn’t it like drink driving over a school crossing?
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