2024-04-14 17:49:08
BOLZANO. Late in the evening of July 6, 2022at the wheel of his Fiat Panda, ran over and killed sixty-six-year-old Carmelo Panepinto who had left the house and was crossing the street, at number 129 via Milanto throw away the rubbish. Yesterday morning, in court in Bolzano, as expected, the lawyer Thomas Brennerdefender of forty-seven year old from Bolzano who was at the wheel of the small car, asked to be able to settle.
He was able to do so in the trial hearing, after the deadline had expired, thanks to the modification of the charge by the prosecutor’s office. In fact, the man, initially accused “only” of vehicular homicide, was also charged withaggravating circumstance of driving with a suspended license, even if the mitigating factors, in the end, were considered to prevail over the aggravating factors. Defense and prosecutor’s office, in the person of the deputy prosecutor Igor Seccothey reached an agreement for one 12 months prison sentence.
The defense also has given up on hypothesizing a contributory negligence, as he had done initially, when the accused had explained that Panepinto would suddenly appear among the waste bins. The judge Stefan Tappeiner he adjourned the hearing until the next one June 20th, to evaluate the adequacy and correctness of the punishment for the crime committed. On the same day, the judge will pronounce the sentence which, barring surprises, should be the one on which the prosecution and defense have agreed.
The compensations
It is difficult for the civil parties to obtain adequate compensation, given that the defendant did not have a driving license. However, the car insurance has decided to offer compensation and has already paid a deposit. Civil parties who are three of Carmelo Panepinto’s six children: two are assisted by the lawyer Elena Valenti and the third by the lawyer Federico Fava. The other three preferred not to enter into the trial. The offended party, however, is the victim’s wife. The lawyers will try to quantify the entire damage. Only afterwards will the insurance company be able to initiate a compensation action against the accused.
The tragedy
The tragedy occurred in the late and warm evening of that 6th July, around 23.30. Carmelo Panepinto had gone down to his house (at number 129 in Via Milano) to throw the rubbish into the recycling bins. The man was hit directly two steps away from the pedestrian zebras and thrown about ten meters away. Although very strong and with a powerful physique – he was a big man two meters tall, with a mild character – Panepinto remained lifeless on the ground with his face disfigured by a large hematoma. He died during the night. Carmelo, which he would have accomplished 67 years old a few days after the tragedy, he had come up for work from Sicily in 1996. And 26 for years he had worked at Röchling Automotive as a forklift driver, he had been a representative of the unitary trade union, and in November 1922 he would retire. In short, he was just missing a well-deserved rest and the possibility of enjoying his four beloved grandchildren full time. His death had profoundly shocked the city and his colleagues had started a collection to help the family.
2024-04-14 17:49:08