Pierre Palmade, the 54-year-old French comedian who caused a serious traffic accident in France a week ago while under the influence of cocaine, was placed under house arrest at a hospital on Friday, according to a court source.
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The prosecutor’s office of Melun, near Paris, which requested pre-trial detention, will appeal the decision of an investigating judge, the same source said.
“Pierre Palmade was placed by the judge (…) under house arrest in an addiction hospital, under electronic surveillance,” Melun prosecutor Jean-Michel said in a statement to Bourles.
On February 10, the vehicle driven by Pierre Palmade collided with a vehicle in front about fifty kilometers south of Paris in the evening.
Tests showed he was positive for cocaine at the time of the collision.
The three occupants of the other vehicle, a 38-year-old man, his six-year-old son and his 27-year-old sister-in-law – six and a half months pregnant and who lost her baby – were seriously injured.
On Friday, the man and his child were still being treated in critical condition in intensive care, according to Melun prosecutors.
The comedian was also injured in the collision, leading to the opening of an investigation into manslaughter and involuntary injuries by a driver under the influence of narcotics.
He “admitted to having used cocaine and synthetic drugs before driving,” but “said he had no precise recollection of the circumstances surrounding the accident,” prosecutors said.
Two men, a 33-year-old Moroccan and a 34-year-old Frenchman, occupants in the artist’s car, who fled the scene of the accident before help arrived, were placed in the status of assisted witnesses for failing to provide assistance, putting the person at risk.
“They had also consumed narcotics,” the prosecutor said.
Pierre Palmade, who is popular in France, has already been convicted several times for drug use. According to his sister Hélène Palmade, he was ashamed after the accident and was ready to “take the consequences of his actions”.
Narcotics are responsible for around 20% of road deaths in France every year.