The case of the accident with a tourist bus that caused 29 deaths and 27 injuries, in the parish of Caniço, in Madeira, three years ago, is still under investigation, according to a judicial source.
On April 17, 2019, at 6:30 pm, a tourist bus crashed on Estrada da Ponta da Oliveira, in the parish of Caniço, in the municipality of Santa Cruz, adjacent to the east of Funchal.
On the bus, which fell on top of a house, after the driver lost control of the vehicle, were 55 passengers who were traveling for a typical dinner at a restaurant in Funchal.
The fatal victims – 17 women and 12 men – were all of German nationality and were between 40 and 50 years old.
Of the 27 injured, two were of Portuguese nationality (the driver and the interpreter guide who accompanied the group).
Eight months after the accident, on December 19, 2019, the Public Ministry requested the trial, in collective court, of the bus driver “for the practice of 29 crimes of negligent homicide”.
In the information released at the time by the District Attorney General of Lisbon (PGDL) it was mentioned that the man was also accused of three crimes of offense to physical integrity by negligence.
“The case has been indicted for more than a year, the offended parties were notified to file a civil claim,” the defendant’s lawyer told Lusa.
The defender also added that she was notified of the accusation, but due to disagreement, she requested the “opening of the instruction, and is awaiting an order on its acceptance and consequent completion of the required steps and subsequent instructive debate”.
The Public Ministry and the Public Security Police (PSP) collaborated in the investigation and collection of evidence of the accident.
Also according to information released by the PGDL at the time the indictment was made, the Judiciary Police and the Institute of Legal Medicine, whose team was reinforced, proceeded to identify the victims, to speed up the process.
As for the expertise of the bus, it was carried out by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto and concluded that there was “no problem with the engine or bodywork”.
As the victims were foreigners, the judicial authorities of Germany, with the involvement of the embassy in Lisbon, collaborated in the “rapid inquiry for the future memory of victims residing in that country, under the European investigation decision and EUROJUST”.
After the accident, the stretch of road in the municipality of Santa Cruz was the subject of works and support for the shoulders.