Tragedy in Rieti: boulder breaks loose and crashes into a funeral procession; one woman loses her life

A large boulder, which suddenly broke away from a rock face adjacent to the Regional Road 521 linking Morro Reatino to Leonessa, in the province of Rieti, has crushed a car carrying a family who were following the hearse on their way to their mother’s funeral.

According to the initial account of the incident, provided by the fire brigade and the emergency services, the boulder struck the roof of the vehicle head-on, smashing through the passenger compartment and fatally injuring a 66-year-old woman who was inside. The boulder then struck other cars in the funeral procession, injuring at least seven more people.