‘It was a mistake, a tragedy’ - man accused of killing Davide Rebellin faces three year, 11-month sentence

A German truck driver accused of killing former Italian professional Davide Rebellin is facing a potential sentence of three years and 11 months.

A decision will be made by an Italian court in March. 63-year-old Wolfgang Rieke may well serve the sentence under house arrest rather than in prison after his lawyers told the court in Vicenza, Italy that a plea bargain agreement has been reached with the public prosecutor. 

Rebellin was killed in November 2022 after Rieke allegedly struck the Italian with his truck he was driving in Montebello Vicentino. 

According to a report by Il Gazzettino at the time, the driver was fully aware that he had struck Rebellin, but nevertheless, still fled the scene. The Italian newspaper claims that witnesses saw the driver exit his Volvo truck after the crash and approach Rebellin, before then getting back into his vehicle and driving away. 

Rebellin was just 51 at the time of his death. He had only just retired from professional cycling and had participated in a Monaco criterium the previous weekend. Across his 30 year career he achieved various major results including victory in Liège–Bastogne–Liège. 

After the incident, Rieke fled to Germany before he was eventually traced and extradited to Italy. He is currently in jail in Vicenza. According to a report on Cyclingnews, an initial plea deal was rejected by the judge involved with the case. 

Giuseppe Moscati, commander of the local Carabinieri, said that work in Italy and abroad had enabled a “meticulous reconstruction” of the movements of the German driver which enabled him to be found and extradited. 

He said: "We don't know if that will help to relieve the pain that the local and wider Italian community is feeling, but I want to thank everybody – from the institutions to ordinary people – who have helped the Carabinieri in their inquiry."

Rieke spoke briefly at the most recent court hearing in order to support the latest plea request. 

“It was a mistake, a tragedy. I’m very, very, very sorry. I regret it and will accept my punishment,” he said. 

ANSA news agency reported that the judge will pass sentence on 11 March and that the family of Rebellin was also awarded €825,000 in compensation from an insurance company.