Gianni Trappolini, 56, and Giulia Santoni, 24, volunteer emergency responders with the Misericordia of Terranuova Bracciolini (Arezzo), were killed in an accident on the northbound A1 motorway between Arezzo and Valdarno early Tuesday morning. The 70-year-old female patient they were transporting also died in the crash.
The Florentine Misericordia Coordination expressed profound grief. “This is a pain that touches us all,” the organization stated. “The Misericordia is a family, and today we mourn brother and sister volunteers who embodied the most authentic spirit of volunteerism until their final moment. Our embrace and prayers go out to the Terranuova community, the victims’ families, and our fellow volunteers. We will not forget them.”
Tuscany Regional President Eugenio Giani called the incident “a tragedy within a tragedy.” Expressing the region’s deepest condolences, Giani confirmed the immediate activation of the regional mass health emergency system. “We deployed vehicles, personnel, and both Pegasus 1 and Pegasus 3 regional air ambulance helicopters,” he explained. “Firefighters and police were also on site. While we stand by all the injured receiving care in our hospitals, our thoughts are inevitably with the three deceased: the patient aboard the ambulance and the two rescuers, who were tragically struck while performing their vital voluntary medical service.”