Skier Found Guilty Of Manslaughter Following Collision
French Alps — The family of a victim from a 2022 skier collision in the French Alps finally has some closure.
The Connexion reports that a man has been found guilty of manslaughter following a collision between two skiers that resulted in her death. The 43-year-old received a suspended 12-month sentence and a €165,000 fine payable to the victim’s family. A suspended sentence allows the individual to stay out of jail if they comply with the Judge’s rules.
Context
Back in January 2022, the two were skiing separately on the Serpentine trail at Flaine ski resort. Flaine is part of the larger Grand Massif ski resort network. The Serpentine piste was originally rated as an easy run, but its difficulty was upgraded due to a fatal string of collisions over the years.
The man was traveling at approximately 60 kilometers per hour (37 miles per hour), which is faster than the recommended speed on that trail. The kid was part of a ski school group, but had fallen behind. A bump that limited the visibility of the slope likely caused the two to crash. Both collided, leading them to fall a considerable distance down the slope. After the crash, she was found without her helmet and gear. She was later pronounced dead at the local hospital.
The defense argued that he was devastated by her death and considered himself to be a responsible and thoughtful skier.
“If there is one skier to whom this tragedy should never have happened, it is him,” said his lawyer.
With this saga over, the family of the victim can now have some closure. They were reportedly exhausted due to the multi-year legal battle.
Image/Video Credits: Chasing Snow, Grand Massif
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