A Romanian man died after a road accident in southern Italy

Paul Grațian Varga, a 20-year-old Romanian man, died in the early hours of Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at Vito Fazzi Hospital in Lecce, Italy, after being seriously injured in a road accident. The young man had been admitted to intensive care several hours after the crash.

The accident occurred on Monday evening on National Road 16, between Lecce and Maglie, near the town of Melpignano. According to the carabinieri’s initial findings, Paul was in a Renault Scenic driven by a friend, and the car had reportedly broken down in the overtaking lane near the exit toward Cursi. The vehicle’s lights were reportedly off and it was hit from behind, subsequently becoming involved in a collision with a third vehicle.

Firefighters, three ambulances and a medical team responded at the scene. The Renault’s driver escaped unharmed, while four other people suffered minor injuries. Following the accident, traffic was blocked and diverted through nearby industrial areas.

Judicial authorities ordered the vehicles to be impounded and the blood alcohol levels of those involved to be checked. Carabinieri from Maglie, Muro Leccese and Corigliano d’Otranto are reconstructing the sequence of impacts. Investigators are also checking statements from witnesses who saw two people moving away toward the fields. The young man’s body was taken to the morgue, where an autopsy is due to be performed.