A selfless man who heroically placed himself between a car and his girlfriend to protect her has died in hospital.
Manuel Piazza and Annalisa Tartamella had left a restaurant and were walking towards their parked car.
Seeing another car approaching and knowing the collision was inevitable, Manuel threw himself forward to shield his girlfriend without hesitation.
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The vehicle struck both of them, but Manuel took the brunt of the impact, sustaining extremely serious injuries.
He was initially taken to a local hospital in Trapani, Italy, before being urgently transferred to a larger facility in Palermo.
The 30-year-old entered a coma following the incident on Saturday evening (24 Jan) and remained in that state until his death in the early hours of Wednesday (28 Jan).
Originally from Milan, Manuel lived in nearby Arese but had travelled to Sicily to visit his girlfriend, who lives in Favignana near Trapani.
He ran a custom furniture business, as reported by Need To Know.
Local media report that the car may have been speeding. The collision was so violent that the airbag deployed and the windscreen was shattered.
Annalisa, a nutritionist, is currently hospitalised in Trapani, in stable condition.
She shared a heartbreaking message on social media: “My love, you lived your life with no regrets, embracing every moment and never wasting a second.
“I learned so much from you, and you were the most precious gift life ever gave me. I know you’ll give me the strength to get through all this.
“For us, distance was never a barrier, and our love goes beyond everything. You and me, me and you. Forever.”
Trapani mayor Giacomo Tranchida also paid tribute: “Manuel, a young man who gave his life to save his girlfriend, was a hero who will remain forever in the heart of our community.”
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