British father and son, ten, and daughter, four, die in horrific car accident in France 'after he fell asleep at the wheel': Mother and other son, three, are fighting for life
- British father, 31, and son and daughter die in car crash in France
- Witnesses say driver lost control of vehicle on A39 near Dijon
- The man is thought to have fallen asleep at the wheel before horror crash
- Police say he was trapped in the wreckage and had a heart attack
- His wife and another child, three, survived and were taken to hospital
A British father is thought to have fallen asleep at the wheel before a horrific car accident in which he died alongside his son, 10, and daughter, four, in France today.
His wife and another child were severely injured in the crash, which took place on A39 motorway at Savigny-en-Revermont, in the east of the country, south of Dijon.
The family's surname was given by the authorities as Crompton, but no further details were immediately available.
Witnesses saw the driver lose control of the car travelling south shortly after 7am. It left the road, smashed through barriers, crossed an embankment, and then fell on to a slip road.
The burnt-out wreckage of the Nissan vehicle was scattered across the road and with parts of the car strewn over the motorway.
Car seats, water bottles and what appear to be clothes have clearly been thrown from the vehicle as it smashed into a wall and ended up on its side.
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A 31-year-old man and two children, aged four and 10, were killed in a crash, pictured, near Dijon, France
Officers at the scene said the father was trapped in the wreckage and suffered a heart attack shortly after the emergency services arrived
Local police said 'two out of three children onboard' – aged four and 10 – are thought to have 'died instantly, alongside their father', who was aged 31.
An investigating officer at the scene of the crash said the inquiry was currently focusing on the driver losing control of the vehicle.
'We can perhaps imagine he fell asleep, or was distracted by something,' said the senior police commander.
Other rescue workers said the man had been trapped inside the wreckage when they arrived, but died within minutes of a heart attack.
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The children's mother survived, alongside a three-year-old child, but both had been rushed to an intensive car unit.
Both were airlifted to the Edouard Herriot hospital in Lyon, where a spokesman said they were 'in a critical condition'.
A video by French news channel France 3 shows the extent of the horrific amount of damage done to the vehicle.
A judicial inquiry into the tragedy has been opened, and the early theory is that the diver fell asleep at the wheel.
A woman, thought to be the mother, and a three-year-old child survived and were airlifted to hospital by helicopter, pictured, where they remain in intensive care
The crash took place on the A39 motorway, pictured, shortly after 7am this morning, police said
The crash took place near Dijon, France, and the early working theory is the driver fell asleep at the wheel
No other vehicles were involved, and weather and road conditions were good, according to investigating sources.
Two emergency helicopters were scrambled to the scene of the crash, which saw the A39 shut in both directions.
The family, who have not been identified, lived in Britain and were thought to be on holiday in France.
A psychological unit was set up around the scene of the crash, to treat those who had witnessed the horror.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: 'We are providing assistance following a road traffic accident in France, in which three British nationals have sadly died and two others have been hospitalised.
'We are working closely with local authorities and supporting the families at this difficult time.'
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