What happens if the connection is lost?

[lightleptonparticle 0]

On linux, just using openvpn, what happens if the connection is lost to the vpn server, or the openvpn application should crash? I'm not sure if I understand how the route table is manipulated by the openvpn program, but I'm assuming that the route table would remain the same even if that happens (if it crashes or connection is lost). So in that case the system would try to route to the vpn server, even if it is not responding, and it would appear to the user as if the Internet connection went down since no traffic can be moved through the tunnel?

 

Is it possible that it would still go to the default route outside the tunnel if it cannot use the vpn server? How can this be prevented?