A married dad-of-four died in a horror crash after its believed his scooter hit a mammoth pothole.
Samuele Fuschi was knocked out cold when his moped hit the tarmac.
Police and paramedics arrived quickly on the scene but could only confirm his death.
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Officials are investigating how the incident unfolded.
Samuele, 38, may have crashed when one of the wheels of his Honda SH 300 dipped into the hole.
Another line of investigation is that he may have crashed while swerving to avoid the hole on the Palermo Ring Road in Sicily, Italy.
Police have not ruled out the possibility that he was hit by another vehicle.
Samuele’s father-in-law, Salvatore Santoro, told local media on the day of the accident: “This pothole opened up three days ago. It was smaller but it was there.
“Today it may have widened a bit more.
“My son-in-law passed through here. He must have tried to avoid it somehow and he lost his life.”
The mayor of Palermo Roberto Lagalla said:
“According to initial investigations carried out by the Municipal Police, it is evident that the tarmac collapse occurred either simultaneously or just moments before the incident that caused the rider’s death.”
Samuele’s eldest son, 18-year-old Alessio Fuschi, told local reporters: “I lost my dad because of a pothole, thanks to the Municipality of Palermo.
“My father left behind a wife and four children, the youngest of whom is only four months old
“I will now be a father to my four-month-old sister.”
Samuele was reportedly uninsured and it is not clear if he was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
He is believed to have been heading to work when the accident happened, as reported on Need to Know.
The authorities are investigating his death as suspected manslaughter, but no suspects have been identified.
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