A Romanian driver died in Italy after his truck overturned in a tunnel on the motorway

A 52-year-old Romanian driver died on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, after the truck he was driving overturned in the Sparvo Tunnel on the A1 Direttissima motorway, heading toward Bologna. The accident occurred at around 12:30 p.m. in the municipality of Castiglione dei Pepoli.

According to the Italian press, the truck was traveling between Badia and the junction toward the A1 Panoramica when it began moving uncontrollably. Witnesses reported that the vehicle left its lane and even entered the overtaking lane. Nearby drivers avoided a collision, but the truck overturned inside the tunnel.

Firefighters removed the driver from the cab, but medical personnel pronounced him dead. Initial assessments do not rule out the possibility that the man suffered a heart attack before losing control, but the cause is yet to be established.

The truck was carrying wood, chipboard panels and shredded furniture, and its load was scattered across the roadway. The section was closed until around 5:00 p.m. for emergency operations, vehicle removal and tunnel cleaning. Traffic police are continuing their investigation, while traffic was affected by queues of up to five kilometers.