The Valparaíso Guarantee Court extended the detention of J.A.R.R., the driver of the bus that plunged down a ravine on Friday night in the Placeres area, by 72 hours. A woman traveling in the vehicle died in the crash.
According to La Tercera, the court granted the request by the Public Prosecution Service (the Prosecutor’s Office), which sought more time to gather information before formally notifying the driver of the investigation. This notification means officially informing a person that the Prosecutor’s Office is investigating them for one or more offenses. The offense he could be accused of has not yet been publicly disclosed.
The bus was carrying members of the Chilean Chamber Orchestra (OCCH). Chilevisión reported that there were 46 musicians and that the hearing to extend the detention took place this Sunday. According to information presented that day, the intercity bus overturned and fell into a condominium complex in Placeres.
Chilevisión reported that, in addition to the woman who died, another 16 people were injured, four of them seriously. All the victims were bus occupants. The woman who died was violist Penélope Knuth, a member of the orchestra for more than 30 years.
Following the court’s decision, the driver remains at the Valparaíso Penitentiary Complex. He is currently detained, but has not yet been formally notified of the investigation or placed under precautionary measures such as pretrial detention. The sources do not report what investigative steps the Prosecutor’s Office is taking or his defense’s position.
The accused will appear before the court again on Wednesday, October 14 at 11:00. At that hearing, the court will review the legality of the detention and the Prosecutor’s Office will formally notify him of the investigation. It could then request precautionary measures.
