“He was a ray of sunshine, Rachid.” On Sunday, September 1, Rachid, a maintenance worker at a high school in Avignon, was fatally knocked down by a hit-and-run driver in a Lamborghini while he was riding his bike.
Rachid “loved life, he loved people. He was a great guy. He was my brother, my best friend, my buddy, my confidant,” Karima, the victim’s sister, told BFMTV.
The suspect’s license was suspended
After the accident, the driver of the car and his passenger immediately fled on foot. The 25-year-old man, who was taken to the Avignon police station by his father after the incident, was already known to the police and his license was suspended. Despite this, he had managed to rent the car on the Internet.
“We lend a Lamborghini like we lend a bicycle. The car was rented on Snapchat, so that means we type on the Internet: ‘I want a Lamborghini’ (…) License suspension and he was able to take the car. Is that normal?” Karima protests.
Rachid was due to celebrate his 51st birthday this Saturday, September 7. “So we’re going to wish him a happy birthday on the coffin, at the cemetery,” his cousin Imène confided with emotion. “Our cousin’s body was returned to us in critical condition. It was so critical that the body wash couldn’t be done,” she laments.
The suspect was taken into custody and an investigation was opened by the public prosecutor’s office for “involuntary manslaughter by driver of a motor vehicle”, “hit and run”, “lack of driving licence”, “unintentional injuries” and “failure to provide assistance”.
Original article published on BFMTV.com
