Overview
- Reports from Sept. 6, 2026 say a 67-year-old worker was trapped and killed when a mechanized grape harvester jammed in contrada Quaranta Salme near Alcamo.
- The victim has been identified as Stefano Palumbo and a 57-year-old colleague, Massimo Lauria, was injured trying to help and flown to Palermo’s Ospedale Civico in serious condition.
- Initial reconstructions indicate the machine stalled and the victim became entrapped while they attempted to restart or clear it.
- Carabinieri from the Compagnia di Alcamo and SPRESAL technicians from the local ASP are conducting on-site inquiries and interviewing witnesses to determine causes and any regulatory failures.
- The accident highlights known risks of mechanized vendemmia work and could lead to administrative inspections, fines, or judicial action depending on the investigators’ findings, while families and the local harvest workforce face immediate emotional and economic consequences.