Italian judge places Senago crash driver under house arrest after he apologised for killing three friends
An 18-year-old new driver who tested positive for alcohol after his overloaded Audi plunged into a canal near Milan, killing three passengers, has been released from jail and put under house arrest.
The crash
Nine young people, aged between 17 and 19, were crammed into an Audi rated for five when it left the road at a sharp bend and overturned into the Villoresi canal at Senago, on the northern outskirts of Milan, around dawn on Sunday 21 June. The three victims were Lorenzo Benin (17), Riccardo Provasi (17) and Camilla Copparoni, who had recently turned 18. They lived in Paderno Dugnano.
The driver
Gabriele Popovici, an 18-year-old newly licensed driver, was at the wheel. After the accident he tested positive for alcohol at 1.6 g/l, roughly three times the legal limit for experienced drivers and in clear breach of the absolute zero-alcohol rule that applies to novice licence holders in Italy. He was arrested on suspicion of multiple aggravated vehicular homicide and causing injuries.
- Audi with nine aboard overturns into the Villoresi canal in Senago; three young people die.
- Carabinieri question the five surviving passengers about the events leading to the crash.
- Gabriele Popovici appears before the investigating judge, apologises and is placed under house arrest.
What survivors told investigators
Five passengers survived and were questioned by carabinieri. According to their statements, the group had spent the night at a venue and were heading home when the crash happened.
During the journey home we repeatedly told Popovici to slow down until, at a sharp bend, he went straight and we ended up with the car overturned in the water-filled canal.
The hearing and the apology
Popovici appeared before the preliminary investigation judge in Milan on 24 June. He exercised his right to remain silent but made brief spontaneous remarks.
The prosecutor, Rosario Ferracane, argued that the teenager should stay in San Vittore prison, citing a risk of reoffending and of evidence tampering.I apologize to the families of my friends.
Judge’s ruling
Judge Maria Beatrice Parati validated the arrest but ordered house arrest instead of detention. She noted that Popovici is a first-time offender with no criminal record and that immediately after the crash he tried to help Camilla Copparoni, although his efforts could not save her. The judge concluded that house arrest was sufficient to address the identified risks.
