David Passaro, who was released from jail last month so that he could prepare for an upcoming trial involving the 2003 death of an Afghan prison detainee, was in a car accident Friday night when his new girlfriend lost control of the car she was driving, investigators said.
According to the accident report, the car, driven by Samantha Robertson, 26, of Raleigh, flipped several times when she lost control of it. The vehicle was traveling at an estimated speed of 80 mph, and investigators indicated that alcohol or drugs may have been involved, according to the report.
Passaro was not injured; Robertson suffered minor injuries. The accident is still being investigated.
Federal investigators are looking into the matter to determine if Passaro was in violation of his March 17 release from the Wake County Jail at the time of the accident. The terms of his release included that he could only leave his house under predetermined conditions, such as going to or from his job, a religious service or an attorney visit.
Passaro is scheduled to go to trial this month, but it could be further delayed because of the sensitive nature of the case.
Last year, Passaro was arrested for allegedly assaulting his former girlfriend while he was on house arrest waiting for the prisoner abuse trial to begin.
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