Bus Carrying Basketball Fans Attacked, Driver Killed in Italy
A tragic incident unfolded Sunday evening on the Rieti-Terni highway, resulting in the death of a bus driver after the vehicle was attacked with stones near Contigliano, just outside Rieti. The bus was carrying fans of the Pistoia Basket team following an A2 series match against Sebastiani Basket Rieti.
The victim has been identified as Raffaele Marianella, 65, originally from Rome but residing in Florence, according to reports from La Nazione. Marianella was the second driver on board and was struck in the face when a rock shattered the windshield on the passenger side. Despite immediate intervention from emergency personnel – designated “118” in the report – he succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Another projectile impacted the driver’s side of the bus, cracking the glass but not penetrating it.
Initial investigations suggest the attack occurred after the police escort accompanying the bus had concluded, as the vehicle was returning to Tuscany. Unknown assailants reportedly threw stones and other objects at the bus. Tensions had reportedly flared earlier in the day during the match at the PalaSojourner arena, requiring police intervention to separate opposing fans. Authorities are currently investigating to identify the individuals responsible, who are described as hooded.
Pistoia Basket 2000 Ssd arl expressed profound dismay at the news, stating in a release that the organization was “disconcerted by the dynamics that caused the accident” and extended its deepest condolences to the driver’s family. President Joseph David and the entire club are offering support to the bereaved.
The mayor of Pistoia, Alessandro Tomasi, condemned the attack as a “criminal act” and conveyed his solidarity with the victim’s family. “We rally around the family members of the driver who was killed,” Tomasi stated, adding that authorities are actively pursuing the attackers.
The incident has drawn national attention, with Sports Minister Andrea Abodi expressing shock on X, formerly known as Twitter. “But how is it possible to die like this, while returning home after a basketball game?” Abodi wrote. “Our condolences to the family of the second driver of the Pistoia fans’ bus, killed by the homicidal spree.”
Police are continuing their investigation, seeking to bring those responsible for this senseless act of violence to justice.
