In an effort to attribute at least some responsibility to the 22-year-old motorcyclist Jason Lalaouniswho lost his life by a police vehicle outside the Parliament in 2021, the defense of the driver and police officer, who was in the protection service of an official person, proceeded at the start of the trial before the Three-member Misdemeanor Court of Athens.
The defendant was also present in court and through his lawyer expressed his regret for the death of the victim, only to be heard by the audience: “After three years…”.
The main eyewitness and co-driver of the vehicle tried with his testimony to indirectly assign responsibility to the young driver of the machine. He even received a barrage of questions from the court, when he argued that “for so many years we have always entered this way”, despite the fact that there is an indication of a mandatory straight path. In particular, the witness policeman testified: “We were on V. Sofia to enter the Parliament and like every time, we flashed to the left, we stopped at the entrance, some vehicles passed by. A taxi gave us priority to pass, we didn’t start and motioned for us to pass. There is always a traffic warden outside the Parliament. If necessary, he goes out and patrols.”
He described that after they checked several times and started the march to the entrance of the Parliament. “We were going with 5 kilometers. When the first 2 wheels came up on the pavement we were jolted by a very strong crash. We didn’t know what hit us, I hit my head on the windshield. We got out and went to the motorcyclist. A gentleman declared himself a savior and we made space so that not many would gather over Jason. I called an ambulance, they told us to move the vehicle and I called my service. Then we sat aside for the ambulance to come. He hit us in the back of the car, at the traffic light.” He added that “the bottom line is that he has seen us from 60 meters away and is not slowing down, he has simply made a mistake in the line he has taken. He thinks the vehicle will go smoothly inside but the vehicle eventually braked to get onto the pavement.”
In the new claim that the other entrance to Parliament was closed due to marching, prosecution support pointed out that there is a legal way for vehicles to enter the entrance that was used, but which the driver did not choose.
Chairman: Are there arrows that do not allow this path?
Witness: Along Vas. Sofias there are signs prohibiting turning left. There is no such sign there.
Chairman: Were there arrows on the asphalt indicating a mandatory straight path?
Witness: Maybe there are but there is no sign prohibiting it. We have always entered this way for so many years. There is a traffic warden and whenever he deems it appropriate, he comes out to make an adjustment. That day he was on the sidewalk, not making an adjustment.
Prosecutor: Do you think you had the right to turn left?
Witness: Yes. Because there was no sign.
Prosecutor: What else was done and what else was allowed… here there was marking for a mandatory straight course. You are a police officer, do you think you had a right?
Witness: Yes.
Prosecutor: How many years have you been a police officer?
Witness: 2009
Prosecutor: Then you didn’t have to check? Phase out?
Witness: Yes. So we went.
Prosecutor: But you wouldn’t have seen him?
Witness: It was a one-way street. We didn’t see any vehicle overtaking on the left, we couldn’t see on the right. I believe we came out progressively.
Paredros: What does this striping mean, and let there be no sign. Because you swore to tell the truth…
Witness: Compulsory course means.
Paredros: Because it is done by derogation you say, that makes it legal? With these data, is the motorcyclist considered solely responsible for the death? Do you think you are not responsible for anything? No driver negligence?
Witness: Apparently something has gone wrong. That the driver of the car can’t do anything different… he couldn’t do anything else. He gave priority to the taxi and we couldn’t see the illegals. Opposite current has stopped
Paredros: If I was driving and made this move in Vasilissis Sofias, wouldn’t I have a big penalty? Do you think policeman I would have a license today?
Witness: All these years this has been happening…
Paredros: I don’t know what they do, I don’t follow it. However, there is another entrance.
“Provocatively criminal driving behavior”
Earlier, on the witness stand, the parents and two brothers of Iasona Lalalouni testified, who declared a representation in support of the accusation.
The father of the 22-year-old motorcyclist spoke of “defiantly criminal driving behavior by the accused which led to the death of my son and my family”. He continued by saying: “I saw a man not interested at all, he didn’t come next to my son at that time, he didn’t contact us. The co-driver came to the hospital who did not tell us who he was and came as a colleague”.
As he explained, his son was a final student of ASOEE and a worker in a restaurant serving food. “That day he was visiting a fellow student to read. He drove a motorcycle for three years and he was very careful because that’s how I learned him since I’ve been driving for 40 years.” he reported and continued: “I was sure he was wearing a helmet. It was a condition to drive when he started riding a motorcycle first he will be safe.”
On the same wavelength and the sister of the victim, who characterized “unacceptable behavior of the accused, who killed my brother and states that he gave him first aid while abandoning him on the asphalt”. Obviously charged, she explained to the court that the defendant “has destroyed a family. Jason lost his dreams. He would have turned 26 on Wednesday. The accused is moving on with his life and we have lost everything. He was not close to my brother even in his last moment.”
