Belgian tourists overwhelmed and killed on the A24: the drugged man behind the wheel had his license expired for over 10 years

Rome – Francesco Moretti, the 53-year-old man responsible for the deaths of Wibe Njls (pregnant) and Jess Dewildeman aged 24 and 25 who were killed in a hit and run last October was driving with a suspended license and tested positive for multiple drug tests. 

 The two young Belgian tourists, including a pregnant woman, were rescuing two other motorists who were involved in a minor collision when Moretti hit them with his Smart after which he quickly left the scene on foot leaving the two young women to die. 

 According to local police, Moretti was driving over 100 km per hour on a road where the speed limit was 70, “in a condition of complete lucidity” said the investigating judge, Maria Gaspari.  

 He was arrested two hours later by traffic police who discovered the man had been driving with a license that had been suspended for at least ten years due to his ongoing heroin addiction and was under the influence of multiple drugs including benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and methadone.

 This was also not Moretti’s first offense, he already has a long list of criminal charges including extortion, theft, and robberies, and was imprisoned immediately following the incident. 

 The decision to immediately imprison Moretti was made by Gaspari because of "the concrete danger of recurrence and escape, given his absolute lack of repentance and awareness of the very serious consequences of his conduct". 

 Moretti claims he still “doesn’t know what happened that night”.

 The two victims had only been in Rome no more than 24 hours and were on their way home in a rented car from a trip to the Frosinone region when they stopped to aid two motorists who had been in a minor collision. 

 Wibe the youngest of the two was 16 weeks pregnant when the incident occurred, they died instantly after the crash. 

 The mayor of Rome, Roberto Gueltieri has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims on his and the city’s behalf. 

 The trial date is set for September, and Moretti is expected to remain in custody until the trial. 

 

sz 

 

 

 

 © COPYRIGHT ITALIAN INSIDER
UNAUTHORISED REPRODUCTION FORBIDDEN