A technical assessment will determine the truth behind the death of Gianuario Derudas, who was crushed by the forklift he was driving at the Sassari recycling center in 2021. This was ordered yesterday in court by Judge Paolo Bulla, who ordered the examination to verify the suitability of the vehicle involved in the accident.
The trial, in which Enrico Besta and Stefano Soro, executives of Ambiente Italia, are accused of manslaughter, had reached its final stages, following arguments between the parties in recent weeks. Prosecutor Erica Angioni had requested sentences of one year and four months for both, alleging liability for both the failure of staff to ensure seat belts were worn and the steepness of the route taken by the victim.
According to the prosecution, in fact, the technical manual does not authorize the use of the forklift on slopes greater than 15%, while in this specific case the slope was 21%.
Massimo Pellicciotto, the defense attorney for the two defendants, challenged this reconstruction, criticizing the prosecution's case. During the trial, video of the tragedy was also acquired, but it failed to clarify a crucial point: whether Derudas was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
Now it will be the expert report ordered by the judge that will most likely provide the final word on the causes of the tragedy.
