Accidental road injuries: former Monaco Police commander acquitted
©Monaco Tribune
On Tuesday 28 October, Monaco Criminal Court heard the case of a French national born in 1976 and residing in Cap-d’Ail. He was charged with causing accidental injuries following an incident that occurred on 31 March 2025.
That morning, the former police commander was driving his Kia when a young moped rider, a minor, fell while trying to overtake him on the right along Avenue de la Quarantaine. The events took place shortly before 9 am. The young man was on his way to school on his moped, while the Kia driver was looking for a parking space. The scooter overtook one car, then tried to pass the Kia on the right. “I moved back into line when I saw that the car wasn’t turning,” the young man explained in court. But while attempting to squeeze between the stone wall and the car, he lost control and fell heavily, hitting a traffic signpost a few metres ahead. The impact with the ground left him with a broken collarbone. There was, however, no contact between the two vehicles — a fact confirmed by surveillance footage shown in court. After the fall, he was treated at the Princess Grace Hospital (CHPG) and later questioned by police once discharged.
The court reviewed the footage from moments before the fall. It showed the young moped rider overtaking several motorcycles on the right at high speed. “I tried to brake — he was going to turn left, so I moved to the right,” he said in his defence. When questioned at the time of the incident, he said he had been travelling at “around 60 km/h,” though he later disputed this figure. “Speed can become excessive depending on traffic conditions,” the court reminded him. The young man insisted: “I’ve always said my speed was appropriate. Everyone has turned against me, even at home. It was just bad luck.” His mother, present beside him, confirmed she held no ill will toward the driver: “I have nothing against him, and I don’t understand why we’re here today. No one filed a complaint.”
Despite this, the public prosecutor chose to pursue the case. “It’s a way for everyone to fully understand what happened that day — a chance for both sides to speak,” explained the prosecutor, acknowledging that the video shed light on the situation. “Was this a simple accident or a criminal fault? I leave that to your judgement,” she told the court. The defendant explained: “I was looking for a place to park. I started turning left, then saw the moped coming. I steered slightly to avoid it. There was never any contact. I was surprised to read in my summons that I was accused of hitting him.”
The young man’s lawyer recalled the circumstances of the accident: “The issue is to understand whether the driver made a sudden manoeuvre or simply turned the wheel as normal. This is not about excessive speed or careless driving — the two never touched. Let’s not debate something that is already clear. A witness who was behind the vehicles has come forward and said he wasn’t shocked by the moped’s speed. These are things that can happen to anyone. He has lost a school year, he was supposed to go to England — it’s been hell for him,” he said, asking the court to rely solely on the testimonies and the CCTV footage.
The defence lawyer pleaded for acquittal, arguing: “There was no contact, no collision. You must acquit him.” He stressed that his client, with thirty-four years of service in the Police Department and the Gendarmerie, had strictly followed the highway code: “He was not driving at excessive speed. He was slowing down because he was looking for a parking space. He moved slightly to the left while using his indicator. The highway code states that one must keep to the left without leaving one’s lane — he began to manoeuvre but remained within it. There was no violation of the highway code by my client, whereas the young rider committed several breaches, particularly relating to his speed. The footage also shows him crossing chevrons and solid lines before the accident.”
Before the verdict was delivered, the defendant addressed the young man: “I hope you’ll be careful in the future. It’s better to arrive a little late than to have a crash.” After deliberation, the court acquitted the former Police commander.