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Michele Traverso, the driver responsible for a deadly hit-and-run accident on the Rickenbacker Causeway, made his first appearance in court this morning and voluntarily submitted to a drug test. Despite previous arrests for possession of marijuana and cocaine, Traverso’s drug test came back clean.
Traverso was behind the wheel of his Honda on Wednesday morning when he hit two cyclists, Enda Welsh and Aaron Cohen. Cohen died at Jackson Memorial Hospital yesterday as a result of his injuries. Welsh suffered an ankle injury.
Traverso had previously been charged with possession of cocaine just last May and possession of marijuana in 2009. According to WSVN however the drug test he took this morning came back clean.
He entered into a probationary program to have the 2011 cocaine charges dropped, however his new charges violate the terms of the program.
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“He’s an all-star in this [drug] program. This is a horrible tragedy and that’s what it is,” Traverso’s attorney Ray De La Cabada told the court, “and the crime here is that he left the scene, which is inexcusable but that’s the crime and I want everybody to remember that.”
Traverso will next appear in court in 21 days for his arraignment, but his charges could be upgraded now that Cohen has died.
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