Employees at French haulier Jamet transport are grieving following the tragic death of a colleague who had worked at the company for 20 years. The 58-year-old driver died while to trying to rescue his dog after his lorry had caught fire.
News of the tragic story was published by French newspaper Le Parisien on Friday. The fatal accident occured at a quarry in Marolles-sur-Seine, roughly 100km south-east of Paris.
The 58-year-old trucker’s lorry caught fire after it hit some electrical power lines while unloading sand. The driver initially escaped the lorry, but realised his dog was still trapped inside the cabin.
The experienced driver was urged not to attempt a daring rescue.
Tragically, the lorry driver ignored the plea and was severely electrocuted the moment he opened the door of the cabin. The trucker’s dog was able to leap out of the cabin and escape the fire. However, despite receiving on-site resuscitation, the Jamet transport driver could not be revived.
Christophe Jamet, who runs Jamet Transport, told Le Parisien that he was shocked about the accident, which he says “should never have happened”. Jamet added that the driver was an “excellent professional” who had been loyal to the firm for 20 years.
The French labour inspectorate has now opened an investigation in order to determine the precise circumstances of the accident.
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