Thursday 23 February, 7.30pm. On the A1 motorway, in the stretch between Frosinone and Ceprano, a lorry is zigzagging. It swerves and invades the other lanes, maneuvers that do not go unnoticed by passing motorists, who send dozens of phone calls to the traffic police switchboard.

At the wheel is a man suddenly taken ill - a heart attack will later be ascertained - and that lorry is full of flammable liquid gas. Giovanni Gaito, 40, married with two daughters, gathers his last strength before losing consciousness and manages to pull over, bringing the truck to the right side of the road. Seconds later he dies.

With his last gesture Giovanni secured all the motorists and truck drivers in transit, thus avoiding a potential massacre, considering the highly flammable load he was carrying. A hero truck driver, as the dozens of motorists who witnessed his deed called him.

Unfortunately, the rescue efforts were useless, the Fire Brigade, the Traffic Police and the 118 personnel intervened on the spot.

The man was originally from Saviano, in the province of Naples, a town where he was well known and respected. Numerous messages of condolence and certificates of esteem on his social profiles.

(Unioneonline/L)

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