Truck Accident on A1 Motorway in Oise: A Miraculous Escape
On Saturday morning, a serious accident occurred on the A1 motorway in the Oise department, specifically on the Roberval viaduct, as a heavy goods vehicle collided with a broken down car parked on the emergency lane. The incident took place around 6:15 AM while the driver of the immobilized vehicle was safely away from his car, reporting the breakdown at a nearby call point. Fortunately, this timely decision prevented what could have been a tragic outcome.
The impact of the collision was severe, causing the semi-trailer to overturn and subsequently catch fire, likely due to a hydrocarbon leak from the truck's fuel tank. According to the departmental road safety squadron, this leak was not related to the cargo the truck was transporting. The truck driver managed to escape his cabin before flames engulfed the vehicle and was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. Fortunately, medical tests revealed he was more shocked than injured, as confirmed by the gendarmerie.
Traffic Disruption and Emergency Response
Emergency services responded promptly, with firefighters arriving shortly after the accident to combat the flames that had consumed both vehicles. Access to the affected section of the motorway was restricted from 6:25 AM, leading to significant traffic disruptions. At its peak, a traffic jam stretched up to 1.8 kilometers, forcing authorities to divert vehicles onto secondary roads, particularly impacting the town of Verberie, which experienced heavy congestion as a result.
The truck's wreckage was cleared by 10:30 AM, and SANEF, the agency responsible for road maintenance, worked to restore normal traffic flow by the afternoon. Despite the dramatic nature of the accident, officials reported minimal environmental damage and no significant risks associated with the hydrocarbon leak.
