Mike Lynch's codefendant in fraud trial dead after hit by car days before tech tycoon disappears on capsized boat

The fraud trial codefendant of Mike Lynch, the British tech entrepreneur who went missing after a superyacht capsized off the coast of Sicily on Monday morning, died mere days ago from a nasty car accident , it was reported.

Stephen Chamberlain was hit by a car in Cambridgeshire, England, on Saturday, it was reported, and immediately placed on life support. In a statement to the Daily Mail , Chamberlain's lawyer, Gary Linceberg, said, "Our dear client and friend Steve Chamberlain was fatally struck by a car Saturday while out running. He was a courageous man with unparalleled integrity. We deeply miss him."

The statement went on to discuss the details of the fraud trial involving Autonomy, the software company he helped finance alongside Lynch, who founded it back in 1996. "Steve fought successfully to clear his good name at trial earlier this year, and his good name now lives on through his wonderful family," Linceberg told the Daily Mail.

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Chamberlain had been the company's vice president of finance for Autonomy, while Lynch had been its CEO. Few details were immediately available about the car accident that ended Chamberlain's life — but the timing has many raising eyebrows, as it fell so close to the natural disaster that wiped out a superyacht that had Lynch on board on Monday morning.

Lynch remains missing as the Italian authorities continue to scour the waters off the coast of Sicily for any traces of him or the other five people who remain missing after the tragedy. One person, believed to be a chef of Canadian origin who lived in Antigua, was found dead.

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It was also reported that Lynch's daughter, Hannah, 18, could be among the missing, but that has yet to be confirmed by the Italian authorities. The ship experienced a violent storm as it was docked at port and then sank, it was reported, with some accounts detailing a tornado that contributed to the damage.

Both Lynch and Chamberlain faced similar charges of fraud and conspiracy after allegedly scheming to inflate Autonomy's wealth during its sale to Hewlett-Packard, and both were acquitted of all 15 charges in June by a jury in San Francisco. They faced 20 years in prison if convicted.