Nine Belgian teenagers were injured after a lorry collided with their coach on a motorway in southern France on Tuesday evening before fleeing the scene, according to French media reports.
The accident took place on the A7 motorway near Bollène, in the Vaucluse region. The coach was carrying 37 Belgian teenagers, three accompanying adults and two drivers as they returned home from a school trip.
According to initial reports, the lorry slammed into the side of the bus before the driver fled. French authorities were still searching for the driver on Wednesday morning.
Despite the impact, the coach driver continued driving to a service area in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, where emergency services from the Drôme and Vaucluse departments treated those on board.
The nine injured teenagers suffered only minor wounds, mainly caused by shattered glass. They were examined by a doctor but did not require hospital treatment.
Seven other passengers were treated for shock at the scene and were also not hospitalised.
The teenagers and their supervisors were later taken to a local sports hall made available by the municipality of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux before continuing their journey back to Belgium overnight on a replacement coach.
