TRIESTE – Tragedy struck this afternoon on the A4 towards Trieste. A man lost his life following a violent accident that occurred at around 3.40 pm on the section between Meolo and San Donà, near kilometre 424.
According to initial checks by the authorities, the vehicle was travelling in the middle lane on a stretch of road congested by traffic, with variable message signs indicating queues between San Donà and Cessalto. After covering several hundred metres without slowing down, the car crashed at high speed into a heavy goods vehicle in the queue, almost immediately triggering a fire that destroyed the vehicle and caused the death of the driver.
No other occupants of the vehicles involved were injured. The alarm triggered a complex emergency response: firefighters from the San Donà di Piave detachment intervened with support from colleagues from Motta di Livenza to extinguish the flames and make the area safe.
Despite the rapid response of SUEM 118 medical personnel, nothing could be done for the driver. The traffic police, present with several patrols, have begun investigations to reconstruct the exact dynamics of the incident. The reasons why the vehicle failed to brake in time before reaching the queue have yet to be clarified.
The road surface was damaged by the heat generated by the fire: technical staff are working to restore normal safety conditions. Traffic remains suspended on the San Donà-Cessalto section towards Trieste. For those travelling from Venice, exit at the San Donà toll gate is mandatory, with traffic diverted onto the ordinary road network and repercussions in nearby municipalities.
