The Hainaut Assise Court questioned Antonino Falzone on Monday afternoon on his role as a passenger in the BMW involved in an accident on 20 March 2022 in Strépy-Braquegnies, in which seven died and over 80 were injured.
The accident occurred when the vehicle, driven by Paolo Falzone, crashed into a folkloric procession on Rue des Canadiens.
Antonino Falzone is being prosecuted for failing to assist persons in danger, a charge usually handled by a correctional court.
In his testimony, he provided a detailed account of his personal and professional background. He mentioned working for various companies before taking up a position as team leader in a telecommunications firm, and highlighted the impact the incident had had on his career.
He also expressed his desire to prove his innocence and secure employment.
Falzone, who has no prior criminal record and was not jailed in connection with this case, said he had reconnected with Paolo Falzone in September 2021 via social media. The two men interacted occasionally, with Antonino describing his friend as sometimes overly assertive with women but portraying himself as reserved and unconcerned with speed.
Regarding the night of 19-20 March 2022, Falzone said he had accepted an invitation to go out. After drinking alcohol in Quévy, he decided to return home at about 3:00 a.m. Initially seated in the back of the car, he moved to the front for the drive to La Louvière, claiming he paid little attention to the driving due to fatigue.
At the moment of the crash, Falzone said, he was using his phone. “As my phone screen turned off, the collision happened,” he said, describing the aftermath as chaotic. However, the court noted a seven-minute gap between the time his phone went dark and the time of impact, which he was unable to explain.
After the collision, the BMW stopped about a kilometre away. Falzone said he came out of the car amid the chaos but acknowledged not calling for assistance, since his phone’s battery was dead.
“I wasn’t psychologically capable of helping the victims,” he stated, adding that his recollection of the events remained fuzzy.
