The hearing of Wolfgang Rieke, the German truck driver accused of hitting and killing ex-pro cyclist Davide Rebellin while driving in 2022, has been delayed after he suffered an ischemic stroke.
Rieke was taken to hospital in Treviso in “a very serious condition” according to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport.
His lawyers have now requested a postponement of the 63-year-old’s trial, with the request set to be evaluated on Tuesday afternoon. Rieke has been under house arrest since February.
Back in February, Rieke’s request for a plea bargain of three years and 11 months of house arrest was rejected by the court in Vicenza hearing the case. The trial had been set to begin on Monday, May 27.
Rieke, who had previously been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after a non-fatal hit-and-run, reportedly struck Rebellin with his truck in Montebello Vicentino on November 30, 2022.
Eyewitnesses at the scene reported seeing Rieke get out of his truck and approach Rebellin’s body before driving away.
Rieke escaped to Germany without reporting the incident but was soon identified and traced by police and was extradited to Italy to face trial. An initial plea bargain request of two years and 11 months was rejected by the presiding judge.
Rebellin’s family have been compensated approximately €825,000 by his employer’s insurance company, but the trial of the person charged with causing his fatal accident now looks set to face further delays.
