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Avellino bus crash: driver was not drunk

The driver of a bus which crashed in southern Italy last month, killing 39 people, had not taken any drugs or alcohol, an autopsy has found.

Published: 14 August 2013 09:26 CEST
Avellino bus crash: driver was not drunk
A total of 39 people died in the July crash. Photo: Stringer/AFP

The body of Ciro Lametta, who died in the crash near the city of Avellino in Campania on July 28th, was tested as part of a wider manslaughter investigation.

“We hope that the investigation moves forward and absolutely establishes that Lametta was not responsible,” Antonio Mirra, the lawyer representing the families of those who died. told Rai News 24.

“We are certain that the actions of the driver are not to blame,” he added.

The driver’s brother, Gennaro Lametta, has also been questioned as he owns the Naples bus operator Mondo Travel.

Autostrade, the company responsible for maintaining the road and crash barrier, is also under investigation.

The concrete barrier shattered on impact, causing the bus to fall 30 metres. Just nine people survived.

The 48 passengers were returning from a pilgrimage to Pietrelcina, the birthplace of Italian priest Saint Pio, when the accident happened.

The crash was the deadliest in western Europe in the last decade.

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NAPLES

Champions League: Eight arrested after fans clash with police in Naples

Smoke bombs, flares, chairs, bottles and metal poles were thrown at police in Naples' historic centre on Wednesday, as Eintracht Frankfurt fans descended on the city despite a ban.

Published: 16 March 2023 12:53 CET
Champions League: Eight arrested after fans clash with police in Naples

Three German football fans and five Italians were arrested following violence in Naples before and after Napoli’s Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt, a local official said on Thursday.

Six police officers were injured in violence on Wednesday evening, according to Alessandro Giuliano, who is responsible for public safety in Naples.

Police were in the process of identifying 470 German fans who arrived in the city, and were scouring images to establish those responsible for the disorder, he told a press conference.

Dozens of supporters of Atalanta also joined forces with supporters of the German side, with whom they are twinned.

The first clashes occurred on Wednesday afternoon in Naples’ historic centre, and continued after the match, an easy 3-0 win for Napoli which took them through to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time.

Smoke bombs and flares, chairs, bottles and metal poles were thrown at police, who responded with tear gas. Later, Napoli fans were filmed by Italian media throwing objects at buses carrying Eintracht fans.

Naples mayor Gaetano Manfredi condemned the “unacceptable” violence, while opposition politicians have questioned the government’s handling of the situation, notably by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.

Napoli player Juan Jesus said the disorder was “bad for the city, and bad for football”.

“Because people come, then destroy, then leave, it’s not a good thing. It’s not possible to still see this in 2023, we are sorry to see these scenes,” he said.

The German supporters had travelled to southern Italy, with many arriving in Naples by train, even though Eintracht decided against selling tickets for the away section in Naples for the second leg of the last 16 tie.

Eintracht Frankfurt fans clash with anti-riot police after arriving in Naples despite not having tickets for their team’s Champions League decider with Napoli. (Photo by Ciro FUSCO / ANSA / AFP)

The Frankfurt club decided not to take up their allocation after the Naples prefecture decided on Sunday to ban residents of the German city from buying tickets.

A earlier Italian ban on Eintracht fans who lived anywhere in Germany was overturned.

Sunday’s decision came after violence in the first leg that was won 2-0 by Napoli in Frankfurt, which led to nine people being taken into custody.

Eintracht fans have been under close surveillance by European governing body UEFA since the pitch invasion which greeted the club reaching the final of the Europa League, which they won by beating Scottish club Rangers.

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