Good-hearted man killed by hit-and-run driver after stopping to help stranded motorist

A good-hearted man was killed by a van after getting out of his car to help a woman with her broken-down vehicle.

Salvatore Servidio was driving with one of his two daughters on Monday evening (26 Jan) when he noticed the stranded car on the roadside.

After getting out of his own vehicle to assist, the 47-year-old was hit by a white van travelling in the same lane.

The impact was severe and Salvatore – whose passing has inspired heartfelt tributes – may have died instantly.

Police and paramedics arrived in good time, but nothing could be done to save him.

The van driver initially fled the area, which was described by local media as “poorly lit”, without offering any help.

Authorities later found the abandoned van a short distance away and identified the driver, who was not the vehicle’s owner.

Father-of-two Salvatore Servidio, 47, killed by van after stopping to help stranded woman with broken-down car in Italy. Driver fled scene then turned himself in next day. — Salvatore Servidio. (Picture: Jam Press)

It occurred on the SS18 in Scalea, in southern Italy’s Calabria region.

After informing the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Paola, the van driver turned himself in at the Scalea police station yesterday (27 Jan), accompanied by a lawyer.

He is a local resident, as reported by Need To Know.

Salvatore, from Grisolia, is survived by his wife, his two daughters, his mother, and his sisters.

A friend, Sonia, paid tribute online: “When things like this happen, it’s really hard to find the right words.

“He was a simple, thoughtful man, always present, who would stop every time just to say hello, lend a hand without ever making it feel like a burden, and was always ready to help others.”

Grisolia’s mayor, Saverio Bellusci, said: “We have lost an exemplary young man, an honest and tireless worker, a decent person who gave so much to our community through his volunteer work and his commitment to the Church.

“A day of civic mourning will be declared on the occasion of the funeral so that the whole community can pay a proper and heartfelt tribute to a kind, generous, and selfless person.”