Milan officer Francesco Imprezzabile dies in motorcycle crash while chasing fleeing Audi Q7
A 35-year-old local police officer lost his life on 22 June in southeastern Milan after crashing his motorcycle during the pursuit of an Audi Q7 that had refused to stop at a checkpoint.
The pursuit
Around 21:00 on Monday evening, a joint checkpoint operated by local police and state police in the Ponte Lambro district flagged down a black Audi Q7. The SUV instead forced its way through and sped off. Officer Francesco Imprezzabile, 35, mounted his departmental motorcycle and gave chase, flanked by patrol cars from the Polizia Stradale. The pursuit followed via Milano, the road that skirts Linate airport toward Peschiera Borromeo. Roughly a kilometre from the original checkpoint, Imprezzabile lost control of his bike and was thrown onto the tarmac.
A passer-by raised the alarm, and the regional emergency service (Areu) dispatched several ambulances, a medical car, and a rescue helicopter. Imprezzabile was stabilised at the scene and airlifted to Milan's Niguarda hospital, arriving around 22:30. Despite prolonged resuscitation attempts, he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
- Audi Q7 forces a joint checkpoint at Ponte Lambro; officer Imprezzabile begins the pursuit.
- Imprezzabile is airlifted to Niguarda hospital after the crash.
The victim
Francesco Imprezzabile served with Milan's local police force. Gianluca Mirabelli, the force's commander, visited the crash site and was described by colleagues as deeply affected by the loss. On his Instagram profile, Imprezzabile had recently written about his vocation.
Wearing this uniform is not just a job; it is a responsibility. It is not an ordinary profession: it is vocation, passion, and a sense of duty. Only when you do this with your heart can you always give your best.
Investigation underway
The Polizia Stradale and the Carabinieri of the San Donato Milanese company are leading the inquiry. Investigators are pursuing two main lines of work: identifying the driver of the Audi Q7 and locating the SUV itself. So far, no collision marks have been found on the motorcycle, making the hypothesis of a deliberate ramming less likely, though authorities have not ruled it out. The more probable scenario remains a loss of control for reasons still under examination.
Detectives are canvassing the few surveillance cameras along via Milano for footage that might capture the vehicle's plates or its driver. The SUV and its occupant remain at large as of Tuesday morning.
