Manslaughter charge in Regine Cavagnoud collision case

Manslaughter charge in Regine Cavagnoud collision case{mosimage}ANNECY, France — The coach and starter present when French skier Regine Cavagnoud was fatally injured during a practice session in 2001 will be charged with manslaughter, judicial officials said Thursday.

Coach Xavier Fournier and starter David Fine are to appear before a court in the alpine French town of Annecy before the summer.

Cavagnoud, the 2001 super-G world champion, collided with German coach Markus Anwander in Austria in October 2001 while training with the German team.

Fine allegedly cleared Cavagnoud to start without being sure that his German counterpart, Tjesimir Peranic, had warned Anwander that Cavagnoud was beginning her descent. Peranic will not be charged.

Cavagnoud, who allegedly wasn’t warned of Anwander’s start either, crashed into him at 50 miles per hour. She died of her injuries two days later.

Fournier and Fine are also set to appear, along with the French Ski Federation, before a court in Innsbruck, Austria, for involuntary injuries to Anwander, said Dominique Delafon, attorney for the two. The date for that trial has not been set.
-The Associated Press