Driving along the A89 motorway, several motorists witnessed an unusual scene to say the least near Servieres (Loire) this Saturday, July 11th. A couple who were arguing got out of their car in the middle of the highway to yell at each other. The driver drove off, leaving his companion on the side of the road, reports Here Saint-Étienne Loire.
Several concerned witnesses quickly called the 17th, shortly before 4 p.m., to report pedestrians on the road. When gendarmes arrived at the scene on a motorcycle, the man left the scene in a car, and his partner was in the emergency lane, local media indicate. The driver stopped to cover the pedestrian.
Echo of an Alpine divorce
On the highway, a pedestrian is extremely vulnerable. Article R421-2 of the Traffic Regulations states that “pedestrian access to the highway is prohibited.” The law also provides for a Class 1 violation “for the acts of any pedestrian traveling upon the highway.”
The Criminal Code also reminds that “the act of directly exposing others to imminent danger through a clearly deliberate violation of a specific duty of care or safety established by law or regulation is punishable by one year’s imprisonment and a fine of 15,000 euros.”
A phenomenon similar to this passenger’s abandonment on the highway, the “alpine scam,” which involves leaving a partner alone in nature while walking, has been widely commented on and criticized on social media, seen as a new form of domestic violence.