Fatal collision in the Montemiletto tunnel: van driver dies, A16 paralyzed

Avellino – A morning of fire and tragedy unfolded along the A16 Naples-Canosa highway. Around 10:00 a.m., a dramatic traffic accident occurred inside the Montemiletto tunnel (in the province of Avellino) at kilometer markers 60+700 on the Naples-bound carriageway.

The dramatic toll is one dead.

According to initial reconstructions carried out by traffic police officers and firefighters who promptly arrived on the scene, the impact involved two trucks—one of which was loaded with tomatoes—and other cars traveling in the same direction.

The driver of a van was killed after being crushed or violently struck in the collision between the heavy vehicles. There was nothing that could be done for the man, even rendering the emergency helicopter dispatched to provide first aid in vain.

By order of the judicial authorities and to allow for the complex safety operations, surveys, and removal of the damaged vehicles, the motorway was closed to traffic in the section between the Benevento and Avellino Est toll booths.

Traffic in the entire area quickly came to a halt, creating a tailback of over three kilometers. Autostrade per l'Italia has issued a mandatory Benevento exit for vehicles heading towards Naples: alternative routes have been rerouted onto the Appia state road 7, with a planned return to the A16 through the Avellino Est toll station. Emergency services, Autostrade personnel, and law enforcement remain on site to manage traffic and reconstruct the exact circumstances of the accident.