Three teenage athletes were killed when an Audi A2 carrying nine people plunged into an artificial canal in Senago, Italy, after an 18th birthday party. The victims were Lorenzo Benin, 17, Riccardo Provasi, 17, and Camilla Copparoni, who had just turned 18. The crash occurred at around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 21, as the group returned from a club in Lainate.
Crash Details
The five-seat Audi A2 was carrying nine people aged 17 to 19. Police believe the 19-year-old driver, Gabriele Popovici, lost control near a bend on a dark stretch of road with uneven tarmac. The car hit a tree, overturned, and ended up in the canal. Camilla was pulled from the vehicle alive but died shortly before reaching hospital. Fire service divers recovered the bodies of Lorenzo and Riccardo, who were trapped inside. The other six occupants survived with fractures and bruises.
Alcohol and Speed Factors
Popovici, from Cormano, tested positive for alcohol with a blood alcohol level of 1.61 g/l, well above Italy's zero limit for new drivers. Police also suspect excessive speed may have contributed. He was taken to a hospital in Milan under police guard in a state of shock and has since been arrested on suspicion of aggravated multiple vehicular manslaughter.
Victims and Community
The victims lived in Paderno Dugnano. Camilla played volleyball for Jolly Palazzolo Milanese. Her cousin said: “She was beautiful, reserved. Like a doll, the way she was brought up together with her brother. She had just come back from a week away on holiday with school friends – no one could have imagined a tragedy like this.” Lorenzo and Riccardo, along with the driver, played football for amateur club Cob 91 in Cormano. The two boys also studied Finance and Marketing together. Other passengers, from Paderno Dugnano and Cusano Milanino, were admitted to the same hospital. Most are long-time friends linked through the amateur football club Cusano Calcio.
