It’s always a grim story when someone has lost their life due to dangerous driving, and Brazilian goalkeeper Raphael Aflalo can consider himself to be a lucky boy after avoiding a prison sentence after being convicted of taking the life of a 17-year-old due to dangerous driving.
The news has been reported from Brazil where he was convicted, however, the former Corinthians goalkeeper had left the country to play in Portugal – he’s currently contracted to Portimonense and plays on loan at Felgueiras.
The sentence handed down is described as around 3 and a half years of “open detention” which essentially means he has to carry out community work and pay a fine as a result of his actions, but he’s still able to appeal the decision and isn’t in Brazil so it’s unclear at this point if he’ll actually meet those obligations.
The details of the case are troubling as it’s described as a hit-and-run incident where he was driving at twice the 50km/h speed limit and was dangerously weaving in and out of traffic, while a second person was hit by his car but managed to survive.
It’s also not clear if Portimonense are going to take any action or not, but the keeper didn’t plead guilty and tried to defend his actions and disputed some of the claims when giving evidence in court so an appeal looks like the most likely outcome first.