Guerriero Pistocchi, a 79-year-old man living in Cesena, died yesterday morning following a road accident on the Adriatica state road near the center of Cesenatico. It was around 10:15 when Pistocchi, on a bicycle, was reaching the canal port of the seaside town, pedaling from the mountain towards the sea. After taking the cycle path that connects the Madonnina Santa Teresa neighborhood to the Adriatica, the man headed onto the path under the overpass that crosses the state road. When he crossed and found himself on the cycle path at the entrance to the link road, he was hit by a Nissan Qashqai SUV driven by a 50-year-old woman from Sarsina. The crash was terrible and the 79-year-old was hit head-on, violently hitting the car and then falling to the ground several meters later. The alarm was raised immediately and an ambulance from 118 arrived on the scene with its sirens blaring to help the unfortunate man, whose conditions immediately appeared desperate.
Three patrols of the Cesenatico Local Police, led by Commander Alessio Rizzo, rushed to secure the stretch of road and divert traffic temporarily, to allow the intervention of the paramedics. The officers then carried out surveys to establish the causes of the accident, which immediately appeared to be negligent on the part of the Nissan driver.
According to the first testimonies of some passers-by, the woman driving the Qashqai, visibly shocked, said she had not seen the man on the bicycle and therefore had not noticed the dangerous situation. Unfortunately, there was nothing more that could be done for Guerriero Pistocchi, as the wounds reported in vital areas, including the head, were too deep. The 118 emergency service therefore had to leave room for the funeral home and the 79-year-old’s body was transported to the morgue where the sad rite of recognition of the body by the relatives took place. The 50-year-old was reported for road homicide, while the Nissan was seized by the judicial authorities. Yesterday morning’s fatal accident brings back to the forefront the problem of road safety on the Adriatica state road near Cesenatico. If in front of the Famila and Arca supermarket area, the increased controls and the presence of the speed camera for those traveling north have led to fewer accidents so far, the passage of the cycle/pedestrian path under the overpass at Via Cesenatico remains a critical point, given that many pedestrians and cyclists have been hit. This time, however, it was not a broken leg or a head injury, we are faced with a person hit on the pedestrian crossing and this is a warning bell. Then one could discuss the fact that the cyclist should have gotten off the bike and crossed on foot. But this is precisely “then”, first we need to prevent accidents.
James Mascellani
