 On Friday, 11 February 1955, Lefaucheux was scheduled to give a presentation to Catholic students in Strasbourg.Despite inclement icy weather, Lefaucheux, an avid motorist, decided at the last minute to travel by car — placing his suitcase not in the trunk, but on the rear seat of his Renault Frégate.Approaching Saint-Dizier from the West, on the Route Nationale 4 (N4), he encountered a detour, which at the last moment he tried to follow.