Italian police investigate suspected murder-suicide of former couple on A1 viaduct near Florence

Discovery at the Alteta viaduct

In the early afternoon of 3 September 2026, Italian authorities initiated an emergency response along the A1 motorway in northern Tuscany. Patrol units from the traffic police (Polizia Stradale) were dispatched following reports of an empty vehicle stopped along the emergency lane between Croci di Calenzano and Barberino del Mugello. The vehicle was abandoned near the Alteta viaduct, located at the junction where the A1 Panoramica separates from the A1 Direttissima heading northbound toward Bologna. Upon inspecting the area beneath the bridge structure, responding officers located the body of a 36-year-old man and, positioned a short distance away, the body of a 45-year-old woman. Emergency medical workers from the 118 service reached the location shortly afterward and confirmed that both individuals were dead.

Investigation of suspected murder-suicide

The Florence police headquarters (Questura di Firenze) and the on-duty public prosecutor opened an investigation treating the incident as a suspected murder-suicide. Early findings by investigators indicate that the two victims were former partners whose personal relationship had ended recently. Detectives suspect that the 36-year-old man threw his 45-year-old former partner over the viaduct barrier before jumping off the structure himself, resulting in a fall of more than 10 meters. Forensic teams and the duty prosecutor conducted on-site inspections around the vehicle and under the viaduct to gather physical evidence and reconstruct the final moments of the incident. Investigators stated that formal conclusions depend on complete forensic evaluations and post-mortem examinations.

Emergency calls and location tracking

Prior to her death, the 45-year-old woman attempted to seek help by reaching out to external contacts during the journey. She dialed the single European emergency number 112 and contacted an acquaintance to report that she was in immediate danger. During her emergency call with police dispatchers, she provided real-time descriptions and location details to assist responders in finding her. Operating units launched emergency cellular signal tracing to pinpoint the mobile phone's geographical coordinates along the motorway corridor. Despite the tracking effort, police officers arriving at the indicated highway sector found the vehicle already vacant and the two bodies below the span.

Traffic measures and site operations

The emergency intervention required the coordinated presence of the Polizia Stradale, municipal firefighters (Vigili del Fuoco), forensic crime scene investigators, and technical staff from highway operator Autostrade per l'Italia. To facilitate medical response efforts, legal inquiries, and forensic documentation, highway managers closed the northbound stretch of the A1 Panoramica. The road closure was implemented around 15:30 on the section between the interchange with the A1 Direttissima and Roncobilaccio. Traffic authorities reported significant transit delays in the surrounding metropolitan area of Florence as forensic specialists and medical examiners completed evidence collection.