Parma, 19 February 2024 – Twenty-five injured and about twenty-five means involved. This is the outcome of the hell that broke out this morning on the A1, where the fog caused a series of accidents, including at least one major collision, in the direction of Bologna, in the stretch between Piacenza crossroads with the A21 and Parma.
The motorway stretch was reopened just before 2.45pm, after a closing for approximately six hours while the rescue machine worked incessantly, in many cases to extract people from the wrecked cars.
I am two men aged 41 and 49 the most seriously injured. Both are in hospital at the Maggiore di Parma: the 41-year-old is in the emergency room and the 49-year-old in intensive care.
At least 5 rear-end collisions in sequence on the A1 due to fog between Parma and Piacenza
Learn more:
Driving in fog: here are the rules and advice to follow
Of the twenty-five injured, 17 were mild cases, six were of medium severity, two very seriously injured. A couple of the patients with minor codes were taken care of by the Fiorenzuola hospital, while all the others were sent to the hospitals in Fidenza and Parma. L’Assoutenti’s appeal: “Immediately a table to prevent accidents”.
118 activated a large deployment of means emergency services, coordinated by the Local Health Authority of Piacenza. At the exit of Fidenza toll booth a ‘was establishedadvanced medical point‘ to intervene on the mildest cases. At least 24 ambulances intervened on the motorway: seven vehicles advanced rescueo, nine Anpas vehicles and nine Red Cross ambulances, while other vehicles remained available for any support action. He also intervened the air ambulance of Parma, Fidenza and Parma. The motorway was closed between Piacenza south and Fidenza.
The consumer association Assoutenti calls for an improvement in traffic measures and greater road safety. “The fog, in addition to causing dangerous rear-end collisions, ends up blocking traffic, creating queues and inconvenience for users – explains the president Gabriele Melluso – a situation that is recurring with excessive frequencyand requires the adoption of further measures aimed at improving road safety and guaranteeing continuity of service”.
“We ask today to Aspiwith a view to renewed relations with consumer associations – he continues – to start a specific table on the topic of fog measurementsinvolving the police, prefects and local authorities”.
The goal is to “identify the best solutions to prevent accidents on the network related to poor visibility” and intervene immediately to “slow down traffic or possibly close dangerous sections, also using apps and messaging services to warn motorists in real time and provide them with alternative routes, so as to protect the safety of users and avoid paralysis of traffic on the network”, concludes Melluso.
A series of accidents due to fog this morning split Italy in two: the A1 closed Between Southern Piacenza and Fidenza (Parma) until early afternoon. Another accident in the opposite direction, towards Milan, it also decreed the closure of that stretch, even if for a couple of hours (and it returned accessible around 11am). The six-seven kilometer queues were resolved in fits and starts.
Specifically: a maxi collision between approximately twenty-five vehicles it occurred just before 9 am in correspondence with thick banks of fog on the A1 Milan-Naples in the Emilian plain area, near theFiorenzuola motorway service station and the junction for the A21 Turin-Piacenza-Brescia in the municipal area of Alseno. Code before the section closed in both directions and the nearby Fiorenzuola motorway service station was taken “by storm” stranded motorists.
They were at least 5 rear-end collisions in sequence. Given the 25 injured and the two in serious condition i rescue operations were complex: 118 personnel and firefighters were at work for hours and in several cases they extracted injured people from the wreckage of cars. Also on site this morningParma 118 helicopter with which some were also rushed in blood bags.
Learn more:
A1: alternative routes after accidents due to fog and queues
Mid-morning, long queues were reported on the A1 in the direction of Bologna before the closed section and also 7 kilometers of queues in direction of Milan. The cars were heading towards Bologna let out shortly after bridge over the Po near Piacenza, with the advice of exiting at Piacenza Ovest on the A21 Turin-Brescia.
It took emergency procedure with the closure of the Piacenza-Parma section towards Bologna and then the opposite one towards Milan (reopened around 11). At least they were 5 accident outbreaks at Alseno height towards Bologna, between km 80 and 85, shortly after the Fiorenzuola motorway service station. 118 sent several vehicles to the scene from both Piacenza and Fidenza and firefighters from Piacenza and Fiorenzuola also intervened. Several patrols were carried out by the traffic police and Autostrade per l’Italia personnel.
Accidents due to fog, section of A1 Piacenza-Parma closed
Closed on entry, in both directions, the stations of Basso Lodigiano, Fiorenzuola and Fidenza. Fog banks also on A22 between Verona and Modena. In recent days, a stretch of around 80 kilometers had been closed for three days in a row.
Learn more:
Still fog on the A22 of Brennero: 50 km/h and safety car
At the time of the first accidents, people came out of their cars making phone calls and trying to get information to know the reason for the block of the A1 motorway, then there were others who showed their neighbor on their cell phone photos of the accidents that had occurred repeatedly, in particular between Fiorenzuola and Fidenza. At the height ofservice station that passes over the motorway in Fiorenzuola there was more resignation than concern among those who had managed to get to the refreshment point. “I’ve been in line for an hour and now I’m waiting. We hope they will be released soon”, were the words this morning from Giovanni who is a craftsman. “Look, it’s been like this for an hour,” the cashier explained to a lorry driver. Whoever had the car on the roadway made do and he climbed over to get to the restrooms of the refreshment point. And there were also those who didn’t hesitate to make a little piece of road against traffic to get to the crossroads between the service area and the Fiorenzuola exit toll booth.