Three young men lost their lives in a road accident that occurred around 4 a.m. on Sunday in Sainte-Aulde, Seine-et-Marne. The vehicle, driven by a 19-year-old man, violently struck a tree on the D603 after the driver lost control.
The three victims, aged 19 to 31, died instantly. A fourth passenger, a 26-year-old man, was seriously injured and rushed to hospital.
The nitrous oxide hypothesis
According to a source close to the investigation, the driver was found with a balloon in his mouth, suggesting he was inhaling nitrous oxide at the time of the accident. This gas, nicknamed "laughing gas," is sometimes used for its euphoric effects.
The precise circumstances of the tragedy remain to be determined, but the force of the impact suggests that the vehicle was traveling at high speed. The misuse of nitrous oxide is regularly implicated in several fatal accidents, while Parliament is currently working on new measures to regulate its use.
