Influencer who laughed about hit-and-run, to face trial for hit-and-run

Portuguese influencer Tiago Grila is set to stand trial over a hit-and-run that seriously injured a woman near Amadora’s Bingo hall in January 2024, in a case that drew widespread condemnation after he appeared to joke about the incident during a podcast that went viral on social media.

An investigating judge confirmed on Monday that Grila will face trial over the collision, which took place on January 17, 2024, near the Bingo Amadora venue.

He has been formally charged with causing serious bodily harm through negligence, failing to provide assistance to an injured person, and driving without a valid licence. The charges were brought by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in March.

The case first attracted national attention, prompting public outrage, in February 2025 after Grila referred to the incident after being asked in a podcast if he had ever done anything he never told anyone about.

According to the subsequent police investigation, the victim had just left the Amadora Bingo hall and was crossing the road at a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing after the traffic light turned green when she was struck by the vehicle allegedly driven by the influencer.

Information obtained at the time by Portuguese broadcaster SIC said the impact left the woman unconscious. She suffered a fractured left arm, two broken front teeth, a head injury requiring eight stitches, and multiple bruises to her face and body.

The investigating judge’s decision comes months after prosecutors concluded there was sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial.

Separately, Grila has recently been accused of involvement in another alleged hit-and-run in the southern city of Évora. The allegation emerged after a young woman posted a video on TikTok claiming he caused a road accident before leaving the scene without assisting those involved. Those allegations are separate from the Amadora case and remain unresolved, writes SIC Notícias.

Elsewhere in Portugal, the whole issue of hit-and-run incidents has become a growing problem.

Source: SIC Notícias

Natasha Donn

Journalist for the Portugal Resident.