Three people died and 18 others were injured, some seriously, in a pile-up on the A1 highway in Tuscany this morning. The accident, which involved a total of six vehicles, occurred on the northbound carriageway between the Arezzo and Valdarno junctions.
According to initial findings, a truck that veered out of its lane triggered the tragic chain reaction. Three cars, a caravan and an ambulance were involved in the accident. For the occupants of the ambulance, all help came too late. The victims were the two volunteers from the aid organization Misericordia, Gianni T. (56) and Giulia S. (24), as well as the 70-year-old patient they were transporting. They died at the scene of the accident.
The emergency services were on site with a large contingent, and the authorities also activated the emergency plan for major emergencies ("Maxiemergenza"). Several rescue helicopters, the fire department and the police were deployed to care for the injured. The Governor of Tuscany, Eugenio Giani, expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and the Misericordia organization.
The affected section of highway is currently completely closed in both directions. There are kilometers of traffic jams. Drivers are advised to take extensive detour to avoid the accident site. The recovery and clean-up work is expected to continue for several hours.
