Teen driver in Istanbul fatal hit-and-run stays behind bars as US court deliberates

A U.S. court decided Thursday to continue detaining a 17-year-old suspect involved in a hit-and-run accident in Istanbul, Türkiye.

At a hearing in Boston, Chief Magistrate Judge Donald Cabell ruled that Timur Cihantimur will remain in custody during the extradition process.

Appearing before the judge for the second time on charges of involuntary manslaughter and injury, Cihantimur’s lawyers argued that conditions at the juvenile detention center in Connecticut, where he is being held, are unsuitable.

They requested that Cihantimur be placed under house arrest or, if that was not possible, transferred to a more appropriate facility in Massachusetts.

However, the prosecutor opposed house arrest, citing Cihantimur as a flight risk, and insisted that the conditions at the detention center are adequate.

After an hour-long hearing, Cabell stated that he needed time to evaluate the substantial amount of information presented by both parties and ruled for Cihantimur’s continued detention.

On March 1, three all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) were traveling in Istanbul’s Eyupsultan district when one broke down. Cihantimur, who was driving his parents’ SUV without a license, crashed into the ATVs, injuring five people. One of the injured, Oguz Murat Aci, later died from his injuries.

Cihantimur fled the scene of the accident with his mother in her vehicle and traveled to Egypt before heading to the U.S.

Temporary arrest request documents for his extradition were forwarded to U.S. authorities by Türkiye’s Justice Ministry.