A young basketball star is fighting for his life after his Ferrari smashed into a flower shop wall.
Matteo Bettanti reportedly lost control of the blue supercar on a straight stretch of road on Sunday (9 Nov) evening.
The powerful vehicle – said to be registered to a company – slammed into the shop, spinning around on impact and ripping off its front right wheel.
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Emergency crews rushed to the scene to find 21-year-old Matteo unconscious inside the mangled wreck.
Firefighters had to cut him free, before paramedics intubated him at the scene in Vigevano, south-west of Milan, northern Italy.
He was airlifted to a hospital in Milan with serious head trauma and other injuries.
Matteo is now responding positively to treatment, but remains in intensive care, as reported by Need To Know.
Also in the car was 52-year-old engineer and businessman Alberto Righini, managing partner of a local construction firm.
He was also rescued from the wreck and taken to a hospital in Pavia with fractures and trauma, but is said to be in moderate condition.
Originally from Vigevano, Matteo had played for local side Elachem Vigevano 1955 in Serie B before an injury forced him to pause his promising career last year.
He had recently been in talks with several teams about a comeback, after returning to Italy from a university stint at Montverde Academy in Florida, USA.
His club released a statement saying: “Matteo is in intensive care at Niguarda Hospital in critical condition, where he has been stabilised and is being closely monitored by doctors.
“Stay strong, Matteo – don’t give up!”
Fans and teammates have flooded social media with messages of support for the rising star, as police continue to investigate the cause of the crash.
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