Mondragone: Drunk and drugged driver hits and kills cyclist; arrested after fleeing

Mondragone – A life cut short at dawn, yet another tragedy on the asphalt that's bloodied the streets of Campania. A 23-year-old man of Nepalese origin and legal resident in Italy was struck and killed while cycling along Via Castel Volturno in Mondragone.

He was hit by a car driven by a 52-year-old man from Baia Domizia, who was arrested red-handed by the Carabinieri on very serious charges: vehicular homicide, failure to provide assistance, and driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

The rush to the hospital and the tragic news

The impact, which occurred this morning, was extremely violent. Emergency medical services and the local Carabinieri responded immediately. The young man was treated on the scene and rushed, in critical condition, to the emergency room of the Pineta Grande clinic in Castel Volturno.

There, doctors attempted everything they could to save him, but his injuries proved too serious: the 23-year-old died a few hours after being admitted. His body was transferred to the Caserta Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy ordered by the Prosecutor's Office.

The escape and the hiding place among the reeds

What makes the story even more dramatic is the dynamics of the moments following the impact. Instead of stopping to provide first aid, the driver hit the accelerator, attempting to disappear. Thanks to testimonies gathered on the scene from several passersby, the Carabinieri launched a swift manhunt in the surrounding area.

The search concluded a short distance from the accident site: the officers tracked down the car and surprised the 52-year-old as he desperately tried to hide in his vehicle, hidden among the thick reeds at the edge of the road.

Drunk and positive for cocaine and cannabis

Taken to hospital for routine toxicology tests, the man tested positive with a blood alcohol level of 0,6 g/l and traces of cocaine and cannabinoids in his blood.

The vehicle was immediately seized to allow forensic analysis. After the formalities were completed, the 52-year-old was taken to the Santa Maria Capua Vetere prison, where he remains at the disposal of the judicial authorities.