The stretch of Olimpica between Via Salaria and the exit onto Viale Tor di Quinto is a deadly one. The absence of guardrails – there is only a narrow, low pavement dividing the two carriageways – has often been the cause of fatal accidents with head-on collisions of cars invading the oncoming lane. Three victims in the last two years.
In July 2022, two girls in a small car died instantly. Giorgia Anzuini20 years old, and Beatrice Funariu22 years old.
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It was the night of July 11th when Giorgia, who was driving, lost control of the car. Despite going at 55 kilometers per hour – as was found by the experts – it ends up in the oncoming lane due to the absence of the guardrail. At that moment an Alfa Stelvio is arriving. The head-on collision is inevitable, the impact terrible. Giorgia and Beatrice die instantly.
Four months later, November 2022, he lost his life Giacomo Sabellia 22-year-old student who loses control of his Smart car, jumps the curb, ends up on the opposite road and collides head-on with a BMW.
If there had been a guardrail
If there had been a guardrail separating the two lanes, the possibility of avoiding the tragedy would have been real. It is on this belief, supported by the reports of the consultants appointed by the Public Prosecutor that, regarding the death of Giorgia and Beatrice, the Prosecutor’s Office asked the GIP to commit the last four managers of the CSimu (Coordination of Infrastructure Development and Urban Maintenance) to trial, which reports to the Public Works Department of the Municipality of Rome.
According to what the PM writes, each of them, who succeeded the previous one, would have had the tools to install a guardrail whose presence would have prevented the death of the two girls.
The Prosecutor – Corriere della Sera specifies this – “limited the accusations to the four accused for reasons linked to the statute of limitations of the crimes committed (according to the accusation) before 2016. In the indictment, in fact, it is specified that the first danger report dates back to 27 April 2001, when the then head of the municipal police, Sandro Renzi, had indicated the risk to the VII Mobility department. A warning which was followed by others, but all remained a dead letter.”
A deadly trait
Giorgia, Beatrice and Giacomo are the latest victims of a long series which from 2001 to today has counted 23 deaths on that stretch of the Olimpica, despite the fact that over time there have been petitions, journalistic investigations, complaints to the Prosecutor’s Office without a single meter of guardrail was erected.
Guardrail announced months ago, last February, but of which there is still no sign. According to an Anas project commissioned by the Campidoglio, it seems that installing it is feasible, except for a single point which would require moving the existing streetlight. It should be around 1.6 km long and cost around 2.5 million euros. The works were supposed to begin in April this year but to date there is no news yet.
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