FlixBus Ordeal: 23 High School Students Endure a 40-Hour Nightmare Due to Drunk Drivers

High School Students' Return Trip Turns into a 40-Hour Ordeal

A school trip that could have ended in tragedy took an alarming turn when 23 students from Saint-Charles in Saint-Brieuc faced an unexpected and dangerous situation. On the night of Tuesday, May 28, while returning from a 10-day exchange program in Germany, the students found themselves on a perilous journey when they discovered that both drivers of their FlixBus were drunk.

Thirty minutes into the journey from Berlin, students and teachers noticed erratic driving behavior. Reports from students indicate that the driver was zigzagging on the highway and not paying attention to the road, prompting immediate concern. The accompanying teachers decided to call the German police, who quickly immobilized the bus at a motorway rest area.

Upon arrival, authorities confirmed the troubling suspicion: both the driver and his partner, who was supposed to take over later, tested positive for alcohol. Facing a precarious situation, the group had to wait for two hours until another driver arrived to take them back to Berlin station. From there, they took a train to Hanover and then boarded another FlixBus to Paris, finally completing their journey with a TGV to Saint-Brieuc, all in all taking a harrowing 40 hours.

FlixBus has publicly apologized for the incident, emphasizing that passenger safety is their top priority. Charles Billiard, the company's head of public relations, acknowledged the grave error and declared that the two intoxicated drivers had been fired. The company also vowed to reimburse all travel-related expenses incurred by the passengers and noted that they could have handled the situation better. This apology was echoed by BFM Business, who confirmed the drivers' dismissal and FlixBus' commitment to passenger safety and support.