Six dead, 30 injured after camper van collides head-on with shuttle bus on Italy's Terni-Rieti highway
A camper van crossed into oncoming traffic on the SS79 Ternana near Colli sul Velino, striking a shuttle bus bound for the Marmore Falls and triggering a multi-vehicle pileup that also involved three cars.
The collision
A head-on crash between a camper van and a shuttle bus on the SS79 Ternana highway killed six people and injured about 30 on Sunday afternoon. The camper, travelling toward Terni in Umbria, crossed into the opposite lane and struck the bus, which was heading toward Rieti in Lazio with tourists bound for the Cascate delle Marmore. The impact was described by police as frontal and extremely violent.
The camper, which was travelling in the direction of Terni, invaded the opposite lane from which the bus was approaching, travelling in the opposite direction, towards Rieti.
Three cars were also caught in the wreckage after at least one driver was unable to avoid the two larger vehicles. The camper was completely destroyed. Authorities are examining whether heavy rain that hit the area during the afternoon played a role in the crash.
Casualties and rescue
Six people died: the drivers of both the bus and the camper, two bus passengers, and two people travelling in the camper. None of the deceased were minors. Emergency services transported three people by helicopter in critical condition to hospitals in Terni, Rieti, Foligno, and Rome. Another 24 injured were taken by ambulance with yellow and green triage codes. One child was admitted to a paediatric ward but is not in a life-threatening condition. Psychological support has been activated for uninjured survivors.
The victims
ANSA reported that the dead were tourists heading to the Marmore Falls and the occupants of the camper, who were returning to the Terni area. Identification procedures were still underway as of Sunday evening. The bus was a shuttle service operating the Cascate delle Marmore route.
Road closure and investigation
The highway was closed to facilitate rescue and recovery operations. Firefighters, the 118 emergency medical service, and traffic police from both Rieti and Terni responded to the scene. A magistrate from Terni is overseeing the investigation and the collection of evidence to determine the exact sequence of events.
- Heavy rain hits the SS79 Ternana area near Colli sul Velino.
- A camper van travelling toward Terni invades the opposite lane.
- The camper strikes a shuttle bus heading toward Rieti with tourists bound for Marmore Falls.
- Three cars are involved after at least one driver cannot avoid the two larger vehicles.
- 118 medical services, firefighters, and traffic police arrive; three critically injured are airlifted.
- Death toll confirmed at six; identification of victims ongoing.
