Family of Gaia Costa — women tragically struck by BMW driven by Lufthansa CEO's wife — is ‘destroyed,' lawyer says
Costa, a babysitter, was using a pedestrian crosswalk in Porto Cervo — an upscale northern Italian seaside resort town — on Tuesday when she was struck down by a BMW X5 that kept going, local media reported.
Police in Sardinia claim Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr's wife, 51-year-old Vivian Alexandra Spohr was behind the wheel, and continued driving until waved down by onlookers.
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5 Gaia Costa's family is in deep grief, their lawyer said.
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5 Carsten Spohr, CEO of Lufthansa Group, pictured with his wife, Vivian Spohr.
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Nearly 200 paramedics and medical technicians spent 20 minutes trying to revive Costa, who died from severe head injuries, the reports said.
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'Vivian Spohr, who was involved in the tragic death, expresses her dismay and deep regret over this very serious accident,' her attorney, Angelo Merlini, told La Repubblica.
Cops claim Spohr flew back to Germany soon after Tuesday's fatal incident, despite being under investigation for vehicular homicide.
Spohr was not legally required to remain in Italy, and is cooperating with authorities.
5 Costa was struck by a BMW SUV while in a pedestrian crosswalk.
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5 Flowers mark the spot where Costa was killed.
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'At this time, we must respect the pain of a destroyed family,' said the Costa family lawyer, Antonello Desini, according to Italian media.
Costa's father is a well-known unionist for Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori, one of the largest trade union confederations in Italy.
Desini added that his 'clients have the utmost confidence in the work of the Tempio Public Prosecutor's Office,' who will be handling the case.
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Witnesses said Costa was following a group of men in the crosswalk, and even raised her hands in a vain attempt to get Spohr's attention.
5 Costa's father is a well-known Italian trade unionist.
Jam Press
An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.
Local reports suggest the investigation has been delayed, as all of the documents served on Spohr have to be translated into German.
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