The joy of learning to drive, of being independent and sharing the excitement with the younger siblings, has turned into a tragedy for a Moroccan family, with three young lives cut short in an afternoon that should have gone a completely different way.
Three brothers, an 18-year-old girl and two 14- and 10-year-old boys, who were aboard a car driven by the young adult, died crushed by a silo: the 18-year-old had recently taken the pink sheet and was practicing in square of a farm when it would have hit the structure, full of feed for chicks, which then collapsed on the car, leaving no way out for the three.
Fatima, Osama and Marva, that's what the young victims were called.
The accident took place shortly after 2 pm in the province of Forlì-Cesena, in San Pietro in Guardiano, a hamlet of Bertinoro.
The three brothers were there because an uncle works as a caretaker in the company: it is the Casagrande farm and poultry farm, which has various offices in the area and since 1959 has been growing fruit and cereals, producing eggs and raising over two million chickens year.
In particular, chicks for laying hens are raised in the San Pietro in Guardiano plant.
The square where the accident took place is inside the company, away from traffic and more dangerous roads, and it is probably for this reason that it was chosen by the young woman to practice.
The brothers had arrived at the company with another uncle, by car, but the car in which the accident occurred was not that of the relative:
in fact, it seems that the three got into a car that was already there, probably with the keys inside.
The girl, who lived with her brothers and the rest of the family in Meldola (Forlì-Cesena), had recently taken the pink sheet, in view of her coveted driving licence.
The exam wasn't missing much.
She was behind the wheel to learn and finally feel great like all her peers.
Her two younger brothers were with her in her car, to keep her company, maybe give her a hand, laugh and joke together.
He was behind the wheel to learn and finally feel great like all his peers.
Her two younger brothers were with her in her car, to keep her company, maybe give her a hand, laugh and joke together.
He was behind the wheel to learn and finally feel great like all his peers.
Her two younger brothers were with her in her car, to keep her company, maybe give her a hand, laugh and joke together.
It was supposed to be a carefree afternoon, but the opposite happened.
According to an initial reconstruction by the carabinieri of Meldola and Bertinoro, during a manoeuvre, the 18-year-old would have accidentally hit one of the three feet that support the silo, full of feed, causing it to collapse on top of the car.
At that moment their world stopped.
The structure, over 20 cubic meters large, fully hit the car which was also submerged by the feed, tons of feed.
Help arrived in a short time, but it was all in vain.
It was not easy for the firefighters to remove the silo and recover the bodies, so much so that they had to bring in a crane.
The operations lasted several hours.
The magistrate on duty also arrived at the scene.
"A tragedy that leaves the
entire community astonished and speechless - the mayor of Meldola, Roberto Cavallucci wrote on Facebook - I embrace my parents in a big hug.
In this moment of pain I express on behalf of myself, the municipal administration and the city of Meldola a sincere feeling of condolences and closeness to family, friends, all their loved ones and those who loved them".
