Sióf fatal hit-and-run: 18-year-old Mercedes driver not detained
The Kaposvári District Court has ordered criminal supervision for the 18-year-old driver who fatally struck a cyclist in Siófok. The prosecution has appealed the decision.
Criminal supervision, not pre-trial detention for suspect in fatal Siófok hit-and-run
The Kaposvári District Court has not ordered pre-trial detention for the 18-year-old young man from Enying who fatally struck a cyclist in Siófok on 11 August, according to the Somogy County Chief Prosecutor's Office as reported by Telex. The court's investigating judge imposed only criminal supervision on the man, with the obligation to wear an electronic monitoring device for a period of one month. The Kaposvári District Prosecutor's Office has announced an appeal against the decision; this will be ruled upon in the second instance by the Kaposvári Court.
The accident occurred on 11 August at approximately 4:30 p.m. The young man, who had held a driving licence for only two months, struck the cyclist with a Mercedes-AMG CLA 35; the cyclist died at the scene. After the collision, the car struck a concrete lamp post, then overturned and skidded for at least ten metres.
CCTV camera recorded the incident. An animation compiled on the basis of the footage showed that a Hyundai that was driving correctly had just begun to overtake the cyclist when a Mercedes travelling at a considerably higher speed arrived from behind. Instead of slowing down, the car accelerated after moving back into the right lane, then struck the cyclist at approximately 100 km/h. A speed limit of 40 km/h was in effect on the street.
Transport and Investment Minister Dávid Vitézy also commented on the case: in his view, had the accident not occurred, the driver would probably have received only a traffic fine for speeding. According to Vitézy, the regulations relating to speed violations of this magnitude should be reviewed.
The proceedings are taking place in Somogy county. The Kaposvári District Prosecutor's Office requested detention, but the court, citing the risk of flight, only partially granted the request and decided in favour of criminal supervision.
Source: Telex