Overview
- Assistant chief Aniello Scarpati, 47, died at the scene, while colleague Ciro Cozzolino, 38, underwent surgery and remains in serious condition with prognosis reserved at Ospedale del Mare.
- Preliminary reconstruction indicates a rented BMW X4 traveling at high speed crossed into the opposite lane around 2 a.m. on Viale Europa, striking the police car, which rolled into a ravine.
- The suspect, 28-year-old Tommaso Severino, was located at a hospital roughly 12 hours after the crash and arrested after toxicology confirmed alcohol and cocaine.
- Six people were in the SUV, including three minors, and investigators are examining possible liability for fleeing without aiding the officers, with juvenile prosecutors handling the minors’ positions.
- CCTV, witness accounts, and rental documents link the vehicle to Severino, as national leaders offered condolences and the municipality prepares civic mourning for Scarpati’s funeral.