2017 bus tragedy that claimed 17 lives: driver got 6 years in jail

The tragedy happened near Verona in January 2017, and its primary cause was that the driver fell asleep behind the wheel. As a result, the vehicle collided with the highway traffic barrier, crashed into a bridge pylon, and then caught fire. The Italian court made its final ruling regarding the issue yesterday, sentencing the driver to six years in jail. The relatives of the victims feel that the verdict is too mild.

Tragedy because of human error

According to index.hu, János V. did not appear in person at the court trial in Venice. As one of the relatives of a victim told the news outlet, an out-of-court settlement was made. That is why the appeals court’s decision was milder than the ruling at the court of first instance.

Due to the out-of-court settlement, the prosecutor demanded six years in prison for János V.,

which his lawyers accepted. Furthermore, the driver will have to serve jail time in Italy and pay compensation.

Moreover, the court banned him from driving in Italy forever. However, he got his license in Hungary back, and hvg.hu wrote that he now works as a truck driver. 

He will only have to go to jail in 4-5 months.

What is more, the Italian system allows him to spend some of his prison time outside to help his reintegration into society.

Italy motorway police see human error behind Hungary bus crash

The victims’ relatives are offended

The victims’ relatives are offended because of the ruling. They highlighted that János V. is entirely responsible for killing 17 people, but the court did not consider this. Endre Szendrei said the cause of the tragedy was that the driver kept his sleep disorders hidden. That is why he fell asleep behind the wheel, resulting in the death of 17, mostly adolescent students from the Szinyei Merse Pál Secondary School in Budapest.

Because of the out-of-court settlement, the court’s verdict did not have a section for explanation. The court of first instance convicted him for endangerment committed in the line of duty, resulting in multiple victims.

The relatives of the victims plan to launch a new trial against the driver, his doctor, and the bus company.

Read alsoBus crash tragedy in Italy – Pope Francis expresses condolences over Verona bus accident

Source: index.hu, hvg.hu