Several hundred people gathered on Tuesday, November 11, in Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais), to pay tribute to Mathis, 19, who was fatally affected on 1uh November in Lille by a motorist who consumed nitrous oxide and fled from police. The white march departed from a large park where Mathis used to live, before walking into town. Close and anonymous people, dressed in white, some wearing t-shirts with the young man’s image, or clothes he made himself, marched peacefully to tell him “one last goodbye”.
1uh November, at 4:48 a.m., Mathis was crossing the street downtown when he was struck by a speeding vehicle. According to Lille public prosecutor Samuel Finielz, the 31-year-old driver refused to obey police orders several times.
The investigation also established “nitrous oxide consumption contemporaneous with driving”. Several meters after the crash, the suspect tried to flee on foot before being arrested. Already known for traffic violations, he was charged with aggravated highway homicide and placed in pre-trial detention. He denied driving the vehicle.
“Losing our best friend at the age of 19, on Halloween night, when she was secretly returning from a night of fun, is not normal.”Tom, 20, who was present at the white march, told Agence France-Presse. At the end of the conversation, Emmanuel, Mathis’ father, a resident of a neighboring town, spoke into the microphone: “I want to thank all of you, family, friends, strangers (…) If this can help us ensure fairness more firmly, and no more nitrous oxide, I don’t want another Mathis to go one day. »
The legal vacuum was complained about by the victim’s family
Mathis’ parents sued “hard” and laws that specifically prohibit driving while consuming nitrous oxide. They asked to meet with the Minister of Justice, Gérald Darmanin, “to make concrete proposals”.
Currently there is no law “which prohibits driving after using nitrous oxide”lamented their lawyer, Antoine Régley. Gold, “This is a growing scourge, very worrying” while driving, “Some drivers lose their sight for a few seconds, others feel invincible”.
In March, the Senate voted to punish abuse of nitrous oxide or “laughing gas,” without specifically targeting driving or even completely banning its sale to individuals, as deputies had previously done. The future of this legislation will depend on negotiations between the two chambers.
Originally from Haiti, Mathis was adopted by a couple from the North. He works in a fast food restaurant in the suburbs of Lille and is preparing for his baccalaureate degree as an independent candidate. Under the pseudonym MPX, he also wrote some rap lyrics. In Lille, near the scene of the tragedy, many tributes have been paid to him in the form of messages and flowers tied to trees. The young man’s funeral took place on Monday in the family’s private life.
