Practice English with NewsPractice with News
Nature194 words1 min read

Night Car Crash in Gers Injures Four; One Airlifted to Toulouse

a person standing next to a car with smoke coming out of it
Photo by Johannes Blenke on Unsplash

A serious road accident took place at night in the Gers region of southern France.

A 22-year-old man from the area was severely injured in the crash.

Because his injuries were so bad, emergency services called a medical helicopter to take him to hospital quickly.

He was airlifted during the night to the university hospital, known as the CHU, in Toulouse.

This hospital has special equipment for treating very serious injuries.

Three other people were also hurt in the same accident.

They were taken to a hospital in Condom, a town close to where the crash happened.

In total, four people were injured in the accident.

The exact cause of the crash has not been given.

Emergency teams, including rescue workers and paramedics, responded quickly to the scene.

News reports say the young man's condition was serious enough to need a helicopter, which is usually only used for the most urgent cases.

Local authorities are expected to look into what caused the accident.

Stories like this are a reminder of the dangers of driving at night, especially on rural roads.

The people injured in Condom are being cared for at the local hospital there.

Vocabulary8 words

accident
something bad that happens by chance
severely
very badly; in a serious way
medical helicopter
a helicopter used to fly hurt people to hospital fast
airlifted
moved somewhere quickly by helicopter
university hospital
a big hospital that also trains doctors
CHU
the French name for a big public hospital
paramedics
trained people who give first medical help
rural roads
roads in the countryside, away from cities

Quiz

1. Why was the 22-year-old man airlifted to Toulouse?
2. Where were the three other injured people treated?
3. True or false: The accident happened during the day.

Fill-in-the-blank listening

Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.

A serious road _____ took place at night in the Gers region of southern France.

A 22-year-old man from the area was _____ injured in the crash.

Emergency services called a _____ to take him to hospital quickly.

He was _____ during the night to the university hospital in Toulouse.

This hospital has special equipment for treating very serious _____.

Three other people were also hurt in the same _____.

They were taken to a hospital in _____, a town close to the crash.

In total, _____ people were injured in the accident.

Emergency teams, including rescue workers and _____, responded quickly.

Local authorities are expected to look into what _____ the accident.

Discussion questions

  1. Why do you think emergency services use helicopters for serious accidents?
  2. What dangers do you think exist when driving on rural roads at night?
  3. How important is quick medical help in serious accidents like this one?
  4. What questions would you like answered about how this accident happened?

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