Francesco M, the Italian driver who took the lives of two Belgian friends Jessy Dewildeman (24 years old) and Wibe Bijls (25 years old) near Rome on Saturday night was driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. The 53-year-old man did not have a driver’s license, according to Italian authorities.
On Saturday, the two friends from West Flanders visited the town of Frosinone, south of Rome, known for its ruins and its amphitheater. On the way back to their hotel in the capital, they witnessed a road accident and stopped to help the three victims. It was then that an individual in a Smart arrived at high speed and rammed them, killing them instantly.
The driver committed a hit-and-run but was identified by dashcam footage of a taxi. An investigation has been opened by the Italian police. “It was dark, I hadn’t seen them“, he said during his hearing according to local media.
The man was well known to the police. He had already been convicted of theft and his license was withdrawn last May after being checked while drunk. During the tragedy that occurred last weekend, he was in the vehicle of his deceased mother. The police suspect another individual of having helped him during his escape. This second individual is actively sought.
Francesco M. now faces a sentence of up to 12 years in prison.
Reactions to this tragedy poured into Belgium. At Casa Mundo, the restaurant where Wibe Bijls worked, the young woman is described as “smiling and everyone’s friend”. One of his sisters also shared all his sadness: “When you think the worst has already happened, this happens to you”. Their father died recently, also of a road accident.