THIS JUST IN FROM THE MIAMI NEW TIMES – POP SINGER CHARGED WITH DUI IN KILLING CYCLIST –
Carlos Bertonatti, a Sony recording artist, was arrested after a short police chase. Bertonatti is suspected of driving his Volkswagen into cyclist Christopher Lecanne, and killing him in Key Biscayne, Florida.
Police Officers claim Bertonatti was driving while intoxicated or impaired when he slammed into Lecanne and then sped away with Lecanne’s bike lodged under his front fender. He left the cyclist bleeding to death on the side of the road.
Here’s what police are saying:
Just before 8:10 a.m., Lecanne was riding his bicycle in the eastbound bike lane on Bear Cut Bridge, the last link on the Rickenbacker Causeway before Key Biscayne. Bertonatti was driving eastbound as well when he swerved into the bike lane and slammed into Lecanne. After clobbering Lecanne, Bertonatti kept speeding east with Lecanne’s bike lodged under his car, according to a spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Finally, the singer stopped on the 600 block of Grapetree Drive, near the posh apartment where he’s listed as a resident. Police arrested him on the spot.
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| via Miami-Dade Police Department |
| Bertonatti’s mug shot after his arrest on Sunday. |
In addition to the DUI, cyclists are upset about the response time of fire and rescue personnel. There are claims that it took as long as 30 minutes for someone to arrive – claims which are disputed by police and fire departments. .UPDATE 2: A cyclist who claims to have witnessed the accident has written a first-hand account about what he saw on a bike forum. You can read the whole passage here.
From a few other sources:
– NBC – Drunk Singer Killed Cyclist & Fled Scene
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