In the first two sessions of the trial in the accident that led to the death of singer Sara Carrera, doubts were raised about the evidence that led to the indictment of Ivo Lucas, Paulo Neves, Cristina Branco and Thiago Pacheco. Tony Carrera, who became an associate, calls for more “humanity” in his testimony and criticizes the amnesia “tactics” adopted by some of these defendants.
Accusations of tactical “amnesia”, persistent doubts about the speed of the vehicles involved in the serial accident on the A1 and a question from Tony Carrera: “Why was the alcohol test carried out five hours after the accident?” In the first two days. The trial of Sarah Carrera, where the defendants contradicted the prosecutor’s account and insisted that they did not remember the details of the incident.
30 km/h or 80 km/h? Paulo Neves contradicts the Public Ministry’s narrative
One of the most important news of the trial came after hearing all the witnesses referred to by the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The defense of Paulo Neves, accused of driving at 30 km/h and under the influence of alcohol, summoned Fabio Montez from the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the Republican National Guard, for questioning about the reliability of information on the speed at which vehicles were traveling. They were traveling.
This expert confirmed that the “quality of images” recorded in the Brisa recording was “poor,” “because of the recording system,” and therefore the footage from the moments preceding the serial incident “was burned.” Then he explained how he determined the speed of the vehicles involved in the collision. “I set a point, and from that point I removed 4 seconds from all the vehicles, and when I removed the 4 seconds, I was able to understand the speed of the vehicles.”
In the face of the defense’s insistence on the reliability of this method of calculating the speed at which a car was moving from still images, especially in the time it took (3 months), this witness highlighted that although it did not achieve “exact” reliability, “I think I “I came to a very good result.”
“Ask GNR why a breathalyzer test was performed 5 hours after the accident.”
This expert’s answers come after Paulo Neves repeatedly denied that on the night of the accident, he was driving his car in the right lane on the A1 highway at a rate of 30 kilometers per hour before the car in which Cristina Branco was traveling collided with his car. As included in the National Guard’s experience of the incident. “I have a lot of doubts, I was driving at 70 or 80 kilometers per hour,” he said.
Regarding the blood alcohol level measured after the accident indicating that he would be driving with 1.18 grams per liter of blood (higher than what the law allows – 0.5 grams per liter), Paulo Neves said that “you have to accept” the test result, as was the case with “Two colleagues having a snack, drinking wine and eating cheese.” “Consciously I thought I was fine.”
But the features of blood alcohol testing were surrounded by controversy during these days of the trial. Paulo Neves did not perform the song until four to five hours after the accident at the hospital, and that delay may have affected the outcome, singer Tony Carrera suggested on Tuesday. He said: “Ask the National Guard why they conducted a breathalyzer test 5 hours after the accident.”
Ivo Lucas says he doesn’t remember the speed
“We were in no hurry to get there,” this was one of the few assurances that actor Ivo Lucas gave to the court, highlighting that he did not remember whether his speed exceeded 120 kilometers per hour or not. The Public Prosecution stated that Sarah Carrera’s boyfriend was traveling at 130 kilometers per hour in the central lane of the A1 motorway and was unable to avoid Cristina Branco’s car, which had previously collided with Paulo Neves’ car.
The accused also revealed that he also did not remember the route on which the car was driving, but he confirmed that before the accident occurred, he had informed two friends, with whom they were going to spend the weekend, in Salvaterra de Magos, that they were running late.
Lucas also said he did not remember why he crashed into Cristina Branco’s car. “Everything happened so fast and my memories are just flashes,” he explained.
Cristina Branco’s car “was not visible”, but eight cars passed it before the accident
Cristina Branco, who was also charged with negligent homicide, after colliding with Paulo Neves’ car, once again contradicted the Public Ministry’s position that the fado singer should have put up the warning triangle for the accident. She explains that she did not do so because she was “confused and in shock” and because “there were cars driving around,” and she remembers a truck passing by.
The fact that there was no such type of signage prompted Ivo Lucas’ defense to blame the accident on the fado singer, because her car “was not visible, and there was no sign indicating the presence of a fixed object on the road.” “.
However, the National Guard soldier who prepared the final investigation report into the accident told the court that at least eight vehicles had passed the cars of Cristina Branco and Paulo Neves before the car carrying Ivo Lucas and Sara Carrera collided with the fado singer’s car.
Thiago Pacheco denies driving 150km/h and says he only saw ‘some orange lights’
Thiago Pacheco, who that night collided with the vehicle carrying Sara Carrera and Ivo Lucas, also rejected the prosecutor’s thesis that he was driving at a speed between 146.35 and 155.08 km/h, stating that he was driving at a speed of 85/86 km/h. H minutes before the accident occurred.
Having already experienced not reducing speed when he became aware of the collision in front of him, Pacheco said he “did not feel the need to do so” because he did not see signs indicating an accident, and only noticed “orange lights” on the road.
Tony Carrera demands “humanity” from the accused and accuses them of amnesia “tactics”.
Sara Carrera’s father, who was attending the trial with his ex-wife Fernanda Antunes, strongly criticized the defendants’ testimonies in court on Tuesday, noting that the majority did not have “the minimum level of humanity.” What happened to them could have happened to them or to anyone. But at least he admits what happened.”
Upon leaving the Santarém court, he said he felt “disappointed. Sold out, but not because of the lies.” “Amnesia is a rage in the courts.”
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