A 5-year-old British girl was killed during a skiing lesson in the French alps when another skier slammed into her “at high speed,” according to officials who charged the man with manslaughter.
The girl, only identified as Ophélie, was with four other children getting a lesson on the supposed safety of a beginners’ slope in Flaine on Saturday morning, local prosecutor Karline Bouisset told Sky News.
As she went to turn, the youngster “was very violently hit by the skier arriving at high speed who tried in vain to avoid her,” Bouisset said.
The speeding skier, a 40-year-old local volunteer firefighter, immediately tried to give her first aid, the UK broadcaster said.
However, the youngster never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead on her way to a local hospital, the outlet said.
The skier was taken into custody Monday and charged with manslaughter, according to Agence France-Presse, which said prosecutors were blaming excessive speed for the death.
He faces up to five years in prison and an $85,000 fine if convicted, Sky said.
Jean-Paul Constant, the Mayor of nearby Arâches, also told the broadcaster that they were “actively looking for a psychologist who speaks English for the family” of the girl.
“They are suffering from extreme shock, as are many others involved in this tragedy,” the mayor said.
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