A day meant for remembrance turned into tragedy in Lanciano, where a car sped down Via del Torrione and plowed into a crowd, shortly after the conclusion of April 25th Liberation Day celebrations.

Initial reports suggest the driver, possibly suffering from a sudden illness, lost control of the vehicle while descending the steep street. The car struck several pedestrians who were walking toward Piazza Plebiscito to continue the commemorations. Two people were violently thrown into the air and landed on the asphalt.

According to Abruzzolive, the victim is an 81-year-old former Carabinieri officer who died instantly. A woman was seriously injured and taken to the Lanciano hospital, while other pedestrians sustained minor injuries, including a former city councilor also treated at the “Renzetti” emergency room.

Panic and despair spread among the crowd, which included tourists and pilgrims on their way to the nearby Eucharistic Miracle site. “A terrible, deafening crash,” witnesses said. “The car came like a missile—this could have been a massacre.”

Emergency services rushed to the scene, including firefighters, local police, Carabinieri, ambulances, and a rescue helicopter.