Trial for crash that killed five told how attempts to save child failed

A police officer told a court that attempts to save a child victim of a crash that claimed five lives failed despite efforts at resuscitation.

PC Danielle Jack arrived at the collision scene on the A96 road at the Drummuir junction near Keith, in Moray, with a colleague to find a number of vehicles with hazard warning lights on.

She agreed that it appeared that a white minibus seemed to have “shunted” an orange car onto a grass verge at the roadside.

Advocate depute Derick Nelson asked her: “Was it clear to you both vehicles were locked together having hit head on?” She replied: “Yes.”

She said there were four occupants of the orange vehicle, but two women in the rear of the vehicle appeared not to be breathing.

PC Jack said the driver Morag Smith was trapped in the car and was highly distressed but could speak to her. “She said she needed to get out,” she told the High Court in Edinburgh.

The officer said she became aware of members of the public carrying two young children, Lorenzo and Federico Ciociola, who had been in the minibus.

She said the younger boy, Federico, was crying but the older boy “appeared to be slipping in and out of consciousness”.

She was later told Lorenzo had stopped breathing and said: “I knew CPR was required.” She began carrying out the technique and was joined by other colleagues.

The prosecutor asked if they took turns to ensure that CPR on the child was constant and she said they did until paramedics arrived, but it proved unsuccessful.

The officer was giving evidence at the trial of Alfredo Ciociola, 50, who has denied causing the deaths of five passengers, including his son Lorenzo, four, by driving dangerously on the A96 on July 26 in 2018.

It is alleged that he failed to pay proper attention to the road ahead, fell asleep, and repeatedly braked and drove onto the opposing carriageway before colliding with a Nissan driven by Morag Smith.

Three passengers in the Nissan, Audrey Appleby, Edward Reid and Evalyn Collie died. Frances Saliba, a passenger in the Fiat Talento driven by Ciociola, also died along with his son.

The trial before Lord Mulholland continues.