There will be citizen mourning on the day of the funeral. This was proclaimed by the mayor Alfredo Barillari, to commemorate the three victims of the tragic road accident, which occurred last Tuesday on the Ionian-Tirreno transversal at the junction for Gioiosa Jonica. The tragic death of Lucia Vellone, Salvatore Primerano and Domenico Massa, known to everyone in the town, has left an open wound in the hearts of all the people of Serre, to the point that a solidarity campaign has already started, materialized in a fundraiser to support the two children that Lucia and Salvatore left at a young age. Two children who are left alone and will never see their parents again, and it is one of the most dramatic aspects of this tragedy.
«Let our hearts be filled with sadness and pain – said Mayor Barillari – We mourn the loss of three good young people who we all met on our way and who today leave us wrapped in a tragedy. Salvatore – he continues – was often seen in the square with the little girl, always smiling, always ready to lend a hand. Lucia was a caring mother, a sweet, discreet woman. Domenico, then, had a big heart. He was deaf and mute, but communicated with gestures a deep affection for Serra and for the people he met. We all saw him riding around on his scooter, he greeted with a smile. Each of them, in their own way, represented a beautiful and authentic part of our community.”
The dynamics of the accident are difficult to reconstruct. What is certain are the traces of braking, the skidding of the car in which they were traveling and, finally, the head-on collision with the bus which ended Salvatore and Lucia’s lives instantly. Hopes for his friend Domenico Massa were also in vain, as he was transported to hospital in serious condition and died shortly after arriving in Catanzaro.
As the news spread on Tuesday afternoon, a silence of disbelief and amazement fell on the town. «As the “Liberamente” group highlighted, «our community is profoundly shaken by a tragedy that no one would ever want to talk about. In moments like this, words seem not to be enough.”
The community of Gioiosa Jonica in whose territory the accident occurred also expressed condolences and solidarity with the family. «There are no words that can console – we read in a note – but there is a collective, sincere and profound embrace, which crosses the borders of our countries to offer warmth, closeness and respect. Salvatore, Lucia and Domenico were not just travelers passing through, but were children of a nearby land, part of that same Calabria that unites us with blood, history and heart.”
Meanwhile, the town of Serre is preparing to say its final farewell to Lucia, Salvatore and Domenico: it will do so as soon as the bodies are returned to the families. The funeral is expected to take place next Saturday.