TRIESTE – This afternoon, the A4 motorway was hit by two separate incidents that blocked traffic in both directions, leaving one person injured and causing severe delays.
The first incident occurred shortly after 14:30 on the stretch between Padova Est and the Arino Est service area, heading towards Trieste. Two heavy vehicles and a sports car were involved. The collision took place at kilometre 367 east, in the municipality of Vigonza. The person in the car became trapped inside the vehicle. Firefighters had to free them from the wreckage before handing them over to Suem 118 paramedics.
Traffic consequences were immediate. Two lanes were closed due to the presence of the crashed vehicles on the carriageway, with queues reaching six kilometres. The slowdown affected not only the eastbound direction towards Friuli Venezia Giulia but also the A13 junctions from Bologna and the Brescia–Padova network. Traffic management was complicated by the high number of heavy vehicles, particularly intense in the afternoon hours.
Around two hours later, another incident affected the A4, this time in the opposite direction. At kilometre 466, between Latisana and Portogruaro, on the three-lane section towards Venice, a heavy vehicle caught fire while travelling. The flames broke out from the semi-trailer, likely due to a brake malfunction. After noticing smoke coming from the rear right side, the driver pulled into a lay-by, called emergency services and managed to detach the tractor unit, moving to safety.
The fire broke out at around 16:15, and personnel from Autostrade Alto Adriatico, alerted by the control centre, arrived on-site along with the fire brigade. The Latisana on-ramp towards Venice was closed for about twenty minutes to allow firefighting and safety operations. For several minutes, traffic was brought to a complete halt.
Thick smoke from the blaze was visible from a long distance, causing further delays as passing vehicles slowed down.
