Huge tragedy shortly after 6pm yesterday in the Monte district, a countryside area on the southern outskirts of Polistena, in the hinterland of the Piana. A 5-year-old girl, Chiara Mammola, died when she was hit by the tractor driven by her father. At the time of the tragedy, the causes of which are being investigated by the State Police, the little girl’s father, Vincenzo Mammola, 40 years old, a local truck driver, was busy working the family land.
According to an initial reconstruction, little Chiara and her other 9-year-old son were with the man. His mother Marta Spanò, originally from Giffone, was working in a hypermarket on the ring road. The dynamics of what happened around 18.10 remain to be established. From some testimonies collected last night it seems that while his son Michele was intent on playing football near the entrance gate to the countryside, his little sister Chiara was on the tractor together with father Vincenzo. Only the last strip of land remained to be plowed when the little girl, completely accidentally, ended up with her face between the blades of the agricultural vehicle. At first no one noticed the tragedy. In fact, it remains to be established whether the little girl fell while she was on the tractor or whether she had already gotten off on the wrong side. The scene that appeared shortly afterwards to family and neighbors was heartbreaking. The 118 health workers who arrived in the Monte district were only able to ascertain the instant death of the little girl.
More details in the newspaper on newsstands