Tour de France Spectator Fined for Causing Massive Crash in June
The Tour de France spectator who caused a major crash during the opening stage of the race in June was convicted and fined by a French criminal court on Friday, according to the New York Times.
The 31-year-old woman—who has yet to be identified publicly—was found guilty for reckless endangerment and involuntarily causing injuries.
She was fined approximately $1,350 (1,200 euros), which was much less than the maximum penalties she faced. The charges under consideration for the woman included a possible one-year prison term and a fine of 15,000 euros.
During the woman's trial in October, prosecutors called for a four-month suspended prison sentence. The accident happened on June 26 in the Finistère area of Brittany, less than 30 miles from the finish line in the first of the race’s 21 stages.
The spectator was not looking at the incoming cyclists and was holding a cardboard sign—showcasing a message for her grandparents who where avid fans of the Tour—that extended over the road. After the initial impact with German cyclist Tony Martin, Martin's team fell around the cyclist, causing much of the pack to pile up around the collision.
Several injured riders were forced to drop out of the competition.
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