A 72-year-old British man died at the scene of a car crash in Chianti, Italy, on Friday afternoon after the vintage vehicle he was driving overturned. His 73-year-old wife, also British, sustained serious injuries and was airlifted to a hospital.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m. on the SR429 road between Poggibonsi and Castellina. The couple had reportedly attended a vintage car show before the crash. According to reports, the driver lost control of the red convertible approximately 1.4 kilometers into the journey. The car veered off the road and overturned, sustaining significant damage.
Emergency services arrived quickly, but the man was pronounced dead by medics shortly after the crash. His wife was transported by air ambulance to Le Scotte Hospital in Siena under a 'code red' status. Her current condition has not been released.
While the cause of the accident is under investigation by police, some online commentary has suggested that aftermarket tires are sometimes installed on vintage cars for aesthetic purposes. The exact circumstances leading to the driver losing control remain undetermined.
This area of Tuscany has seen previous traffic incidents. Days before this fatal crash, a separate collision involving three cars occurred on the same road, resulting in minor injuries for one occupant.
In June, a separate fatal car accident occurred in northern Italy when three teenagers died after a vehicle plunged into a canal near Milan. The driver of that car, a 19-year-old, is being investigated for alleged vehicular homicide and reportedly tested positive for alcohol.