73-year-old motorist arrested after deliberately running over cyclists twice in Lanzo Torinese
A 73-year-old man was arrested for attempted murder after deliberately driving into a group of six cyclists twice in Lanzo Torinese on the morning of 8 August, leaving four injured, one in serious condition.
The attack
A 73-year-old local resident was arrested on attempted murder charges after deliberately driving into a group of six cyclists twice on the morning of Saturday, 8 August 2026, in Lanzo Torinese, north of Turin. The incident occurred around 9:45 on via Loreto, near the bridge to Coassolo, along the road leading into the Lanzo valleys. The group of amateur cyclists had set out that morning from San Mauro, Settimo Torinese, and San Raffaele Cimena for a ride through the valleys. Four people were injured, one of whom was hospitalised in very serious condition with reserved prognosis at the CTO (Orthopaedic Trauma Centre) of Turin. Two of the injured were transported by helicopter to the CTO, while the other two were taken in yellow code to San Giovanni Bosco hospital. All four suffered multiple traumas and fractures. La Stampa reported a higher toll of six people affected, with two in serious condition and four more lightly injured.
How it unfolded
According to witness accounts, the driver overtook the group while honking insistently and flashing his lights. One cyclist raised an arm in protest at the aggressive passing manoeuvre. The driver then stopped, put the car in reverse, and accelerated into the group, striking them at full force. After the first impact, the driver began to flee. When some of the cyclists who remained on their feet tried to chase him to note his licence plate, the driver performed a sharp U-turn at speed and drove into the group a second time, hitting cyclists who were in the middle of the road helping the first injured companion.
- Incident begins on via Loreto near the Coassolo bridge; driver honks and passes group of six cyclists
- Driver reverses into the group after a cyclist raises an arm in protest, sending one cyclist flying 30 metres
- Driver makes a U-turn at speed and drives into the cyclists again as they try to help the injured and chase the car
- Driver turns himself in to carabinieri; toxicological tests ordered
- Prosecutor's office of Ivrea orders house arrest on attempted murder charge
Eyewitness testimony
Piercarlo Lagna, an experienced runner and amateur cyclist in the group, described the scene to La Stampa. He said the group was riding slowly, chatting, at perhaps 20 kilometres per hour when the car passed honking. After the first impact, Lagna instinctively dropped his bike and ran after the car to take the licence plate. The driver then turned and came at him.
Seeing that car coming at us, in that way, was a horror film scene, there was no time to dodge it. It could have truly become a tragedy.
Lagna said the first cyclist struck was thrown 30 metres. He survived the second charge by throwing himself off the road. He added that if the group had not moved the first injured cyclist off the ground, the driver would have run him over completely.
Arrest and investigation
The driver turned himself in spontaneously to the carabinieri shortly after the attack. The carabinieri of the Venaria company and the local station tracked him down and brought him to the barracks. On the orders of the Prosecutor's office of Ivrea, the 73-year-old was placed under house arrest at the disposal of the judicial authority. He faces charges of attempted murder and multiple road injuries. Toxicological tests were ordered to check for the presence of alcohol or substances. Emergency response was coordinated by the Croce Reale di Venaria, which dispatched multiple ambulances and an air rescue helicopter to the scene.
