by This Thursday, at the Court of Santarém, the instructive debate on the process of the accident on the A1 highway that caused the death of Sara Carreira in December 2020. Two of the accused were present, the fado singer Cristina Branco and Paulo Neves, but not the other two, actor Ivo Lucas who was driving the car where Sara Carreira was following and Thiago Pacheco who collided with the actor’s car. The reading of the decision is scheduled for the next 27, at 14.00.
Also present in court, watching, were Sara Carreira’s parents, Tony Carreira and Fernanda Antunes. “I’m here just to listen,” the artist told the press outside the courthouse, “it’s been two years and I’m here to listen and try to understand. I’m not here to blame anyone, because I’m not going to do anything like that if that’s the case. Justice will do it.” In the end, Tony Carreira deemed the Public Ministry’s performance “simply abysmal”.
The representative of Tony Carreira and Fernanda Antunes reiterated the criminal responsibility of Paulo Neves, the man who caused the accidents by driving under the influence of alcohol at less than 30 km/h, below the minimum speed limit on the highway. The Prosecutor’s Office disagrees with the lawyer of Paulo Neves, who was in court but did not make statements, arguing that there remains an “insufficiency of the facts of the crime of negligent homicide” and that he should be held accountable for the offense of dangerous driving.
Cristina Branco and Ivo Lucas are charged with manslaughter and face prison terms of 3 to 5 years. The fado singer crashed into the car of Paulo Neves, arguing that she was careful while driving and that after the collision she put on the four indicators but not the triangle on the road because she was trying to protect her youngest daughter. “Given the circumstances I was unable to signal the accident,” he told the court, describing how he left the car with his daughter, heading for the center divider.
The Prosecutor’s Office also considers that it would have been “almost suicidal” if the fado singer had tried to place the triangle on the road, believing however that he was not moving at sufficient speed due to the rain and wet ground. , and that was why this could not be prevented. Cristina Branco’s lawyer asked not to be prosecuted for the crime and argued that Paulo Neves is responsible.
When he collided with Cristina Branco’s car, Ivo Lucas was traveling at 130 km/h, so he was speeding. His car overturned and he was later hit by Thiago Pacheco, who was also speeding. The Prosecutor’s Office believes that the actor has no chance of being cleared of guilt in the death of Sarah Carreira, with his lawyer asking that he not be convicted of manslaughter and pointing the blame at Paulo Neves.
