During the trial of Tomislav Horvatinčić for causing a maritime accident in which two Italian sailors lost their lives, three experts testified at the Municipal Court in Šibenik. They determined that there was enough time and conditions to avoid the accident.
Considering the weather conditions on the fateful August 16, 2011, as well as the radar recordings of the speed and direction of the vessel’s movement – Tomislav Horvatinčić had a full four minutes to notice the sailboat of the deceased Italian sailors and avoid the collision. However, he did not change either direction or speed, and the engines of his speedboat continued to operate even after he passed over the sailboat – stated traffic experts Ivo Matijanić and Mijo Radunović.
Horvatinčić’s yacht had to perform a collision avoidance maneuver as the sailboat was approaching from the right side. This is what the Italian sailors – the Salpietro couple – ultimately tried to do. However, the impact of the speedboat, traveling at 26 knots, and death – could not be avoided. And the experts noted that Horvatinčić only needed three seconds to avoid the collision.
The telecommunications expert, on the other hand, received an order to examine traffic from Horvatinčić’s mobile phone only until 12 o’clock. The disputed email sent to the media, in which Horvatinčić claims that his autopilot failed, was recorded on his mobile phone as sent at 2:20 PM.
