After the death of two German schoolgirls on a school trip to Tuscany, the driver of the car involved in the accident says she can no longer remember anything. When questioned by the Italian authorities in the city of Lucca, the 44-year-old claimed to have memory lapses. Her lawyers then raised the possibility that the woman could have suffered a fainting spell while driving. A medical examination is now to be carried out to determine this. An alcohol and drug test was negative.
The Brazilian-born woman, who has been living in Italy for some time, is now being investigated for a traffic homicide. During her fatal drive on Wednesday evening, she sped through the town center of the seaside resort of Lido di Camaiore on the Mediterranean in her SUV. She fatally injured two 17 and 18-year-old schoolgirls from Duisburg on a sidewalk. She was then placed under house arrest. The public prosecutor’s office has now requested that the woman wear an electronic ankle bracelet.
Shock and sadness in Duisburg
The group of around 80 people from Duisburg-Mitte returned home on Friday. Relatives welcomed the students and teachers. Psychologists and pastors were also assigned to the teenagers and young adults, as a spokeswoman for the Düsseldorf district government described. In the municipality of Camaiore – 1200 kilometers south of Duisburg – there was a minute’s silence.
Seven people were injured in the fatal accident, including another German schoolgirl. She is still being treated in hospital in Italy, said the district government spokeswoman. No information could be given about her state of health. Three holidaymakers from France were also among the injured. According to information from Thursday, one woman’s life was in critical condition.
Accident driver is represented by two lawyers
“Our client is not indifferent to what happened,” said defense attorneys Massimo Landi and Nicola Bonuccelli. However, she could not remember anything. Witnesses had already reported that the woman had stood around absently immediately after the accident. According to the investigations so far, the Brazilian drove on for about 250 meters without reducing her speed after hitting the two Germans head-on. She injured other pedestrians before crashing into several cars. A video of the accident has now also emerged.
Parallel to the investigations in Italy, the focus in NRW was on providing support to those affected. “In the coming days, there will be opportunities for pupils and teachers to help them cope with grief in the school community,” announced the district government, which is responsible for school supervision. It was not clear whether there would be a memorial service. Classes are due to start again on Monday.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240920-930-238028/3
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