Family of student tragically killed in Prague accident appeals for help and answers

The family of a Chilean student who tragically passed away after a freak car accident in Prague 6 at the end of January is appealing for “justice and answers.”

Consuelo Zambra, who was 23, was killed by an unmanned car accelerating downhill on a road in Prague’s Střešovice district on Jan. 30. She was trapped between the car and a shop; after 30 minutes of attempted resuscitation, paramedics were unable to save her.

To bring Consuelo back home, the family had to spend hundreds of thousands of crowns on repatriation and travel to Czechia. This also involved hiring a lawyer, which was a necessary part of the process.

Consuelo was studying international relations on an exchange program at Charles University – she had just graduated. She had lived in Prague since September and was due to return to Chile in March.

"The family has hired a lawyer to take the case into its own hands, clarify the facts, and get justice. Things are still very unclear. Her family wants someone to take responsibility for the accident," a friend of Consuelo told Expats.cz. Police are still investigating the case.

Expats.cz contacted attorney Hračja Grigoryan from law firm Melkus Kejla & Partners for comment on the accident.

Theoretically speaking, the law firm told us: "Even in a case where there isn’t a driver sitting in the vehicle, there still may be someone liable for the accident." The attorneys added that in this particular case, where the most probable cause of the incident was that the vehicle wasn't properly secured, "the operator could be charged with negligent homicide (manslaughter)." Since the vehicle was a taxi, the perpetrator could potentially face an even stiffer penalty, the firm says.

“Consuelo had many dreams, she was an excellent student at school and university, she wanted to become a consul,” says her family.