Italian court rejects plea deal, moves to trial for truck driver accused of killing Rebellin

A court in Vicenza has ruled that the German man accused of hitting and killing retired pro cyclist Davide Rebellin with a truck 15 months ago will not be granted a reduced sentence through a plea bargain and that proceedings are open for a formal trial to begin May 27.

Defence lawyers for Wolfgang Rieke, the truck driver charged in the hit-and-run, had requested a reduced sentence of three years and 11 months of house arrest instead of prison, and noted that compensation had already been paid to the Rebellin family. His employer’s insurance company compensated the victim's family with approximately €825,000, according to ANSA news agency.

A panel of judges released a verdict on Monday that the plea bargain request was inadmissible, according to a report by La Gazetta della Sport.

“It was a nice surprise, we didn’t expect it,” read a statement from Rebellin’s brother, Carlo, which was included in the La Gazetta della Sport article. “We can only be satisfied with the fact that, instead [of a plea bargain] the judges have decided to go ahead and send Rieke to trial. 

"We do not want revenge, but justice for Davide and we believe that a trial is the 'right' place to ascertain all the facts and to arrive at a sentence that will not return him to us but which is at least the most appropriate possible, compatibly with Italian laws, to the serious responsibilities of the accused."

Rieke was arrested in Münster, Germany in June 2023 under a European arrest warrant and extradited to Italy in order to face charges of vehicular homicide and a failure to provide assistance. 

Rebellin's family has been opposed to a plea bargain for Rieke.

Davide Rebellin’s tragic death while riding near his home in November of 2022 came just weeks after the 51-year-old had competed in his final race as a professional rider, the Veneto Classic. Rebellin turned professional after competing for Italy at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, opening the way for a three decade long career which included victories at a number of major Classics.