Crestini.com

The news that musician Ciprian Fodorean died in an automobile accident while taking his driver’s license exam in Cluj, Romania shocked the Romanian community in Arizona.

Ciprian was on 25 years old when the accident occurred, and just a few months after he left the Grand Canyon State, where he lived a year and a half. The young musician was a licensed piano player at the Music Academy „Gheorghe Dima” in Cluj and was working on his master’s degree in bel canto.

According to the newspapers from Cluj, Ciprian was at a semi-trailer truck driving school where he was waiting for his colleague to complete the driving exam. Ciprian was seated in the trailer portion in the back of the truck waiting his turn to go to the wheel. 

At a crosswalk, the young man (driver) stopped so that the pedestrians may cross the street. At that moment, apparently Ciprian thought that it was his turn to take the driving exam and stepped out of the truck, but the truck continued moving forward, Ciprian lost his balance and fell under the wheels of the truck as it crossed the street. Only after the semi-truck returned back to the street did the driver and the other passengers realize what happened. At this tragic scene was a police officer, the board chief of Driver’s licenses, Dan Florian, gave reporters an interview to free himself from any guilt:” There’s no problem if the students stay in the trailer of the truck as someone is taking the driving. In these trucks there are benches where the students can sit. According to reports, the driver made it clear to Ciprian to sit in his bench and wait for him to come and say it’s his turn. Reports also state that the instructions were very clearly given. It is normal for any parent to try to find a guilty for the death of their son, but Adrian Micu, is not guilty”.

Reading these stories, one cannot help but ask a few elementary questions.

First of all, what law does it state that the students should be transported in the rear of the trailer? Also, how do we know he exited the trailer because he thought it was his turn to drive? Is this the only possibility? (what if, perhaps, he became nauseous in the trailer and tried to get off)?

Let’s assume that there is such a law that allows students to stay in the trailer portion of the truck, but what safety measures were put in place for the well being of the passengers? Also, what steps were taken by the instructor to properly communicate with the students in the trailer? How is it possible that the semi-truck rolled over the youth and the instructor didn’t feel the impact and allowed the truck to continue on its journey while the young man was struggling for his life. How did the police investigation come to the conclusion that Ciprian death was deemed an accident with no one at fault? The police officer and the instructor ignored the rear view mirrors during the exam and only realized what happened once they returned to the scene. From reports made at the scene, it states that the young man was still alive once the ambulance arrived. Nonetheless, because Ciprian had lost a lot of blood, the paramedic couldn’t save him. In such situations, every second is vital. Therefore had the officers been observant, they would have realized the accident right away, and called for an ambulance, Ciprian chances for survival would have been much greater. 

It’s also remarkable that the authorities (police and the driving school’s representative) had no interest to this day to contact the Fodorean family and express their deepest regrets and condolences. It’s well known that in the United States , whenever there is an accident, the company or institution that was involved in the accident, (regardless who is at fault) contacts the victim’s family and offers moral and even financial support in some cases. 

Ciprian Fodorean left America unknowingly to die in Romania. His desire was to obtain a commercial driver’s license, even though he didn’t need it. He thought that maybe in the future it would be of use. Ciprian was born in January 1983 in Cluj-Napoca. He was the oldest of five children of Lidia and Eugen Fodorean. He leaves behind two brothers; Eugen and Mihai, and two sisters; Stefania and Salomeea, who currently live with her husband in Spain, in the city of Arganda. 

Once he graduated from the College of music, he was invited to come to the United States, where he successfully led a few musical groups. In 2005 he lived for a period of six months in Chicago, Illinois. He then returned to Romania, and on the 4th of July, 2007, he returned to America, this time to Surprise, Arizona, where he stayed until the end of 2007. Those who knew him, characterized him as a very educated young man, respectful with an extraordinary character. „Ciprian was a very resourceful; he knew where to spend his money. He thought much of his family, and how to help them. He was very heartfelt towards his brother and sisters. He though little of his needs” – the Arizona resident Simion Murza, the uncle of the musician reminisced. Due to the fact that the passing of Ciprian was unexpected, there are moments in life in which family members are imagining that the young man is still in The United States and waiting his return. 

A free society is one in which every individual is protected by the laws that governs it. When we speak of artists and talented individuals we can say much more; because we all remain in the hearts of our loved ones, but the talented ones have the privilege that throught their life’s „opera” others can come to know them and their opera so that it resonates onto other souls. This was the kind of person Ciprian Fodorean was, someone his friends profoundly remember full of admiration and affection, yet full of sadness that he is no longer with us.

Octavian D. Curpas
Surprise, Arizona
Email: Justitia at Justice dot com