Antonio Pereira, a father of one, had pulled on to the hard shoulder to re-set his satnav when the fast-travelling lorry ploughed into his car, killing him almost instantly.
His ten-year-old sister was in the car with him, but miraculously escaped with cuts and bruises. She was able to reach for her mobile phone and call Mr Pereira’s parents, who were driving ahead with his four-year-old son, to ask them to turn back and help them.
The accident happened on the motorway near Bordeaux at 1 am on Monday morning. Mr Pereira was pronounced dead at 4 am. Born in Portugal, he had lived in Jersey for nine years and had been married for six years. His wife Sandra was at their home in St Helier when the accident happened.
