A 28-year-old Italian tourist accused of causing the deaths of an elderly couple and their daughter in a road crash in South Australia’s Mid North last year, has appeared in court for the first time.

Key points:

  • Three people died when the campervan Gabriele Cairo was driving hit a car in the state’s Mid North last year
  • Mr Cairo and his wife were also injured, and he was charged with dangerous driving offences
  • His lawyer told the court he was on a tourist visa

Gabriele Cairo was charged with death by dangerous driving and causing serious harm by dangerous driving, after allegedly crashing a hire campervan into another car on October 31, 2023, at Everard Central near Blyth.

At the time, emergency services were called to the intersection of Templeton and Blyth roads, where 84-year-old Clare woman Cynthia Clark, and her 54-year-old daughter Jacquie, from Jamestown, both died at the scene.

Cynthia Clark’s husband, 86-year-old John Clark, was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, but died a week later.

Mr Cairo, who was driving the van, sustained minor injuries, but his 26-year-old wife Elena Perrone was also airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

Ms Perrone today attended court with Mr Cairo, along with other family members who had travelled from Italy.

Prosecutors told the court that investigations into the circumstances of the crash were still underway.

Mr Cairo’s lawyer Hugh Woods asked the court to seek an adjournment on the matter.

“My client resides in Italy and is currently here on a tourist visa,” Mr Woods told the court.

“Our position is to seek that next date to be sooner than 14 weeks.”

Outside court, the lawyer’s colleague Michael Woods told the media it was “very sad for everyone involved”.

Mr Cairo will appear in court again in March.

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