It’s June 2nd. In Piazza Galimberti, in Cuneo, There is a ban on parking with removal from 7.30am until no longer necessary, approximately 1pm, for the Republic Day ceremony. Both on the inner and outer ring.
Some people don’t pay attention to the signs. The cars present are removed and taken to the company responsible for removal, Costamagna Self-help, in via Valle Maira in Confreria. A nasty surprise, which obviously also generates anger and protests. In addition to providing a substantial outlay.
But there is a limit to everything. AND this limit was exceeded around 11 that same morning. “I opened this business in 1973. I had never seen a scene like this”underlines Mr Claudio Costamagna, now retired but present at the time of the incident. The business is now managed by his son Matteo, who tells us what happened. He was not present, but he saw the images from the cameras inside the company and spoke to the employee at the office that morning.
He shows them to us too. A young girl arrives, in her early twenties. She’s she’s upset, she’s railing, she’s saying she’s not going to pay. She is asked for her documents, she gives her identity card and then takes it back. The employee remains calm but firm: he must pay or return when he intends to do so.
There is also a family to collect the car, which was also removed in Piazza Galimberti.
The cars are behind a bar. The family pays, they have to collect theirs. But raising the bar means allowing the girl, who obviously has the keys, to get in and take the opportunity to leave. Obviously without paying.
There is a moment of hesitation. The gentleman with his family understands the situation, but he has to leave because his wife has an obligation. They try to do everything quickly, but the young woman is quick, she gets into her car and starts it.
The employee tries to block her path, placing himself in front. But the girl doesn’t stop, she runs him over and he remains clinging to the hood. He loses the sandals he is wearing. He immediately understands that he can’t let go, lest he end up under the wheels. He stays like this, hanging from the car, for over a kilometre. He manages to hold on to the car’s pillars, thanks to the open windows.
Moments of panic for him and for those who witness the scene. Mr. Claudio alerts the police.
At the Confreria traffic light she slows down, the employee takes advantage of this and manages to get into the car by entering through the window. She begins to beat him and insult him, in front of two witnesses who have arrived in the meantime, who initially believe that they are engaged to each other and that she is rebelling.
The police also arrive and try to calm the young woman down. He, on the other hand, despite being in a state of shock, is very lucid. He suffered a cut on his leg, but he did very well. He is taken to the hospital to undergo tests: he is shocked, he saw death on his face.
Now he has filed a complaint. The girl will most likely have to answer for violence and private injuries. Obviously she hasn’t paid yet. She offered to do it in two tranches.
“I refused, we’re not at the market – he comments Matteo Costamagna. It doesn’t matter about the money, we just want him to answer for what he did. In many years, we have never involved the lawyer, we have always tried to manage things. But this time it’s not possible. I have to protect my employee, who risked his life for the company’s interest. We are not law enforcement, but we often have to deal with impaired people. However, at last Sunday’s levels, it had never happened. It looked like a scene from a movie. We have all the images to demonstrate what happened. And several witnesses, including the family who was present and witnessed the whole scene. I don’t understand why they let her go. She could have killed my employee. If the police hadn’t arrived, she wouldn’t have stopped.”
The story was confirmed by the police, who took up the complaint from the man who was the protagonist, despite himself, of the terrible affair.
