Héricourt, France — A 79-year-old woman was fatally struck by a car Tuesday morning in the parking lot of a Leclerc supermarket in Héricourt, Haute-Saône (department 70). The incident occurred around 8:30 a.m. on October 13 in the En Salamon commercial zone.
The pedestrian, a local resident, was walking when a vehicle leaving a parking space hit her at low speed. Firefighters from Héricourt and the SMUR medical team attempted resuscitation on site, but she was pronounced dead. The 49-year-old driver, from nearby Lure, told police he did not see the woman until impact. Alcohol and drug tests returned negative; he was not using a phone and was not blinded by sun.
An investigation for “homicide routier” (road homicide) has been opened by the Vesoul prosecutor’s office and may be reclassified as involuntary homicide. Security camera footage is expected to help reconstruct the sequence of events.
The tragedy has shocked the small community. Authorities continue to examine the precise circumstances of the collision in what should have been a low-risk parking environment.