A 22-year-old driver who was behind the wheel of an Audi RS4 that crashed into a wall just days before Christmas 2023, killing two and injuring two others, has been charged with manslaughter and causing unintentional injury.

The horrific crash occurred on 17th December at the western exit of the Tunnel du Millenium in Monaco. Two female students – a 19-year-old from Kazakhstan and a 20-year-old from Azerbaijan – were killed, while the 22-year-old driver of Finnish nationality was left seriously injured and fighting for his life in hospital alongside his other two female passengers, one of whom is Italian and another of American citizenship. 

See more: Tragic weekend car accident claims second IUM victim

The tragic event happened at around 4.30am in the morning. According to reports, the driver, who had been drinking alcohol in the hours before the crash, had been attempting to take his fellow International University of Monaco students home after a night at the Twiga nightclub. 

Toxicology reports, the results of which have been published by the Monaco Matin, indicate a blood alcohol concentration of 1.87g/l at the time of the crash. No illegal or illicit drugs were found to be in his system.

Such were his injuries that the driver was only made aware of the crash and its ramifications on 8th February, reports the Monaco Matin. He has spent much of the last three months at the Hôpital Pasteur in Nice and most recently at the Centre Hélio-Marin de Vallauris. 

On 21st March, he was reportedly summoned to attend a hearing at the request of the overseeing judge in Monaco. After questioning, he was charged with manslaughter and causing unintentional injury.  

Although the Public Prosecutor had requested the 22-year-old be detained pending trial, the Monaco Matin reports that he has instead been placed under judicial supervision “with several obligations, and in particular a bond of €60,000 in installments”. 

Comments made by the Attorney General of Monaco, as published by the Monaco-based newspaper, say, “[The driver] regrets the incident, but does not remember it.” 

Read related:

Record road deaths force Monaco Police to get tough on drink driving, but how?

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