River Plate forward Diego Buonanotte has been charged with involuntary manslaughter after three of his friends died last year when a car he was driving crashed on a rural highway.
Prosecutor Carlos Colimedaglia said Tuesday on Radio 10 after filing the charges that Buonanotte could face the maximum penalty of five years in prison. He suggested the case might be resolved without Buonanotte being jailed.
Colimedaglia said the crash took place at between 100 and 110 kph (62-68 mph).
''Even though he was not speeding, there are other factors,'' Colimedaglia said. ''It's not just speeding that constitutes careless or negligent driving. It was raining heavily. The road had lots of puddles and there was a strong wind and other factors.''
Buonanotte's lawyer said in another interview that there was not enough evidence to convict his client on the charges.
The 22-year-old Buonanotte broke his collarbone in the December crash and had serious chest injuries. He had surgery on a broken right arm and remained off the playing field until mid-April. He has been used as a substitute at River Plate, which shares the Argentina Apertura lead with Estudiantes and Velez Sarsfield.
