The public prosecutor of Mons, Ignacio de la Serna, confirmed on Monday evening on RTBF that the driver of the car which hit the public at the Gilles pick-up on Sunday morning in Strépy-Bracquegnies was indeed “Paolo F”. The man had a slightly offending blood alcohol level.
The man, who presents himself as a follower of speed on social networks, had already received a license withdrawal of 5 years. He had passed the 4 exams, theoretical, practical, medical and psychological, which had allowed him to recover the right to drive. Paolo F. and his passenger at the time of the collision tested positive for alcohol. The results of blood tests must specify if they had ingested other substances. The two men were presented Monday evening to the examining magistrate in Tournai. The latter has until 5:00 am, the end of the 48-hour preventive detention, to issue or not an arrest warrant for one, for the other or for both occupants of the car. For now, the investigation is open for murder but the facts could be reclassified.
The public prosecutor of Mons, Ignacio de la Serna, spoke about the time needed to identify the driver of the car. “When the police arrived, the two people were out and we had to wait for the images from the surveillance cameras to find out who the driver was. He is not a repeat offender. He therefore recovered the right to drive, but it is an element that the judge will appreciate.
The Mons prosecutor also spoke about the offense – or not – of the facts. “It is the crux of the case, the intentional character or not, and it is important because the nature of the penalty is different, depending on whether it is voluntary or not. Different elements will have to be taken into consideration: the speed of the vehicle , was there braking? Why did he continue another kilometer after the impacts? It’s a bit early to answer. The prosecutor also pointed out that the driver’s alcohol test had revealed only a minor violation.