It was May 18, 2022 when a car, near the Primo Maggio kindergarten in L’Aquila, suddenly broke out, breaking through the fence of the nursery school, killing little Tommaso D’Agostino and injuring 5 other children. On 26 June it will be known whether the suspects will go to trial: compensation of 2 million euros has been requested.
Among the darkest pages of L’Aquila’s history is the accident that occurred on May 18, 2022 toL’Aquila May Day Kindergarten. A tragedy that cost the life of Thomas D’Agostino, only 4 years old. State Police, Municipal Police, Carabinieri, Fire Brigade and 118 rushed to the scene around 2pm, in via Salaria Antica est, after a car suddenly broke loose, ending up breaking through the fence surrounding the nursery school . At that moment some children were in the spaces in front of the nursery, intent on playing. The car hit six of them.
One of the little ones, Tommaso D’Agostino, was immediately in danger of dying and, after several attempts at resuscitation, lost his life.
The preliminary hearing
Last April the preliminary hearing for the accident at the Primo Maggio nursery school was held at the Court of L’Aquila. The judge Guendalina Buccella He admitted parents and grandparents of the child as civil parties in the trial, – in which damages of two million euros were requested – while it excluded two associations. In the next hearing, the possible indictment of the suspects will be established: that is, the owner of the car Zhorova Radostina Balabanovaassisted by the lawyer Francesco Valentinithe head teacher of the “Mazzini” comprehensive institute – of which the kindergarten is part – Monia Laiassisted by the lawyer Mauro Cecithe engineer Bruno Martinithen responsible for the prevention and protection service of the same institute, assisted by the lawyer Luisa Leopardiand the surveyor Antonello Giampaolinihead of the School Building Sector of the Municipality of L’Aquila, assisted by lawyers Massimo Carosi And Antonella Pellegrini. For all four, in fact, the possibility of indictment will be assessed with thehypothesis of the crime of vehicular homicide. The next hearing will be held on June 26th.
The reconstruction of what happened
According to what was reconstructed during the investigation, the woman’s car, with one of her children on board, would not have had technical faults, but it would have stopped due to some movement of the minor, already outside the investigation so long as not attributable. The investigations then continued also within the scope of the safety of the school facility. The turning point came with the expertise of the technical consultant appointed by the Prosecutor’s Office, Cristiano Ruggerifiled last November: 179 pages with which the technician put down in black and white the fact that a series of other people contributed to the death of the child and the wounding of the other children factors linked to the state of the places, together with the conduct judged to be omissive and negligent of the mother who left her 12-year-old son in the car. Therefore, contributory causes relating to the death of little Tommaso would also have contributed to the death safety of school premises: in particular, the management of the surrounding parking area and the closure of the main gate.
read also
News
L’Aquila kindergarten accident, ineffective fence and parking management: the expert report
Again according to the expert opinion on the nursery school fence, the death of little Tommaso D’Agostino could have been avoided. The gate broken by the car, in fact, was not sufficiently secure to guarantee the safety of the little pupils. Hence, the inscription in the register of suspects of the four people involved.
First May Kindergarten, work on the building
Work began on January 31, 2024 demolition and reconstruction of the “I Maggio” school building in via Salaria Antica Est, in the Pile neighborhood. In its place there will be a nursery school capable of accommodating up to 120 children, of which 60 for the two nursery sections and 60 for the nursery. The amount of the interventions, from the economic framework of 3.3 million in total with completion expected in November 2025, was financed through the resources made available by the Ministry of Education as part of the Pnrr, with the project ‘Futura-The school for the Italy of tomorrow’. The new school center will be developed on two completely independent levels and will be structured in an optimal manner with respect to teaching needs, in compliance with current regulations on education, safety and energy efficiency.
