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The incident occurred as the first light of morning was beginning to touch the surrounding peaks. Matilda was on her way to school, navigating a familiar route that thousands of students take across Italy every day. She was attempting to cross State Road 239—a primary artery that winds through the mountainous terrain—intending to reach the bus stop that would transport her to her educational commitments. According to preliminary reports from the carabinieri and local traffic authorities, Matilda was within the designated crosswalk when the unthinkable happened.
A heavy cement mixer, owned by the local firm Cunaccia Construction, was traveling along the same stretch of road. In a collision that lasted only seconds but would change the fabric of the community forever, the massive industrial vehicle struck the fifteen-year-old. The sheer physical disparity between the heavy machinery and the young girl made the impact catastrophic.
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