Early in the morning of February 25, 2005, near the town of Jáuregui, in the district of Luján, he died Norberto Hannibal “Pappus” Napolitanoat 54 years old.
He has been one of the great figures of Argentine rock since the end of the 60s. He has been a member of groups such as Los Gatos, Pappo’s Blues and Riffas well as developing an important solo career.
Pope died in a crash on Route 5 while riding his motorcycle, a Harley Davidson, next to another that his son was riding Luciano Napolitanoalso involved in the accident although unhurt.
how did the accident go
Norberto Napolitano He was traveling on Route 5 the night the tragedy occurred. His son Luciano and daughter-in-law accompanied him on another motorcycle. The road accident occurred upon reaching the La Blanqueada area, at kilometer 71 of Route 5.
At first, several versions circulated. The main one was that of the son’s motorcycle Pope he brushed by him on the street, him carpus he lost his balance and fell to the tarmac, and was hit by a gold-coloured Renault Clío which was traveling along the same route.
There is another version, which differs in the origin of the clutch which, in this case, would not have been caused by the son of the founder of Riff, but by a Renault Mégane. Subsequently, both versions coincide in the fall and crash of a Clio.
Luciano Napolitano he provided his version of the episode in a 2012 Facebook post, which he never edited. He did it to counter the rumors that on the night of February 25, 2005 both Pappo and Luciano had taken drugs. And that these, added to the misfortune, were the combinations that led to the tragedy.
“we weren’t made. The Toxicological Visit of the Biochemical Expert says it, which established that Norberto (Pappo) and I did not have analgesics, anesthetics, diuretics, cocaine, barbiturates, benzodazepines, amphetamines or other drugs in our bodies. No, we weren’t drunk. We had eaten on a grill and shared a pitcher of wine between three,” she said.
the son of carpus he added that his father had a great resistance “to alcohol, and having had a history of alcoholism, that didn’t stop him from riding his Harley more proficiently than many teetotalers.”
He also ruled out that they were running “in pieces”: “No, we didn’t pass each other along the way and we didn’t race or mince: my old man was traveling alone on a 1200 cm3 Harley Davidson prepared by him, and I followed him as best I could on an old Kawasaki from the 80s, of modest 400 cm3, carrying a rider and a passenger… It would be like racing a Chevy against a Citroën 2CV…”.
More details
According to the text written by Luciano Napolitano, the itinerary of the tragic night began on that grid. “We were going to play a Moto Encuentro and we should have gone to change, and if it was up to him we should have gone to the cabaret first. But he was the carpusand with him you never knew the order of things”.
After dinner they left the grill, went out into the street until at one point and unexpectedly his father made a sudden and dangerous maneuver.
“He slowed down sharply trying to turn in the opposite direction of where we were, I’ll never know if he wanted to go back to the fifth we had already passed to change (he was in shorts and moccasins), if he wanted to walk through the cabaret or what happened to him, to make him do that incomprehensible maneuver. What I do know is that when I reach him the sudden movement surprises me, his bike rubs against mine, crossing it on the opposite hand. I saved myself because, miraculously, nobody came from the front,” he said.
Finally Luciano concluded: “He falls on the asphalt with his Harley, I run to help him get up and a speeding car with its headlights on first hits the motorbike and then runs over him, dragging him and passing over his body”.
Source: Clarin
