The 22 year-old driver of an Audi that crashed at high speed on December 17, killing two students, will not spend time in jail before his court hearing, Monaco Criminal Court decided last week, despite a request from the prosecutor.
The young Finn has been charged with aggravated involuntary homicide and aggravated involuntary injuries and has been placed under judicial control.
The crash in the early hours of December 17 as the driver and four female passengers headed to buy cigarettes at the Esso station close to Cap d’Ail sent a wave of horror through the Principality just days before Christmas.
The IUM students’ association habitually held social events at Monaco nightspots Twiga and MK, and it was a well-known fact that many youngsters drove away from these venues having consumed too much alcohol to be able to drive safely,
The driver told the court that he regretted the incident but did not remember it. His blood alcohol level was 1.87 grammes per litre of blood. Bail was set at 60,000 euros.
One of the victims, a 19 year-old Kazakhstan national died at the scene of the crash, below the cemetery. A 20 year-old Azerbaijani student died in the Pasteur Hospital in Nice two days later. Two other female passengers, an Italian and an American, survived the high-speed impact.
The International University of Monaco has named two stars after the two dead women, Ayana and Dilara. IUM’s director has said that the incident will serve as a warning in future. “The student community was struck by what happened, but we must not let our guard down in the future,” insists Jean-Philippe Muller. “We must be able to tell this story to newcomers and avoid new tragedies.”
On the occasion of the IUM Spring Ball on May 8, a tombola will be held to raise funds for Be Safe, the get-you-home service piloted by Camille Gottlieb, daughter of Princess Stephanie.
RELATED STORIES: https://news.mc/2023/12/17/ium-student-killed-in-high-speed-monaco-crash/ https://news.mc/2023/12/18/further-information-released-regarding-crash-that-killed-young-ium-student/
Featured image by Jack Brodie, a flower at the scene of the crash
