A 15-year-old Albanian boy has died in Italy after being hit by a car while riding his bicycle. Manuel Korreshi, who lived in Castegnero Nanto, was struck by a vehicle along the Riviera Berica, near Ponte di Barbarano.
The teenager was taken to San Bortolo Hospital in Vicenza, but despite doctors’ efforts to save his life, he died shortly before 8:00 p.m. in the paediatric intensive care unit. The injuries he sustained in the accident were extremely severe.
Manuel Korreshi attended the Lampertico Institute in Vicenza and played football for AC Este. He is survived by his parents, who are of Albanian origin, and his older brother, Enea, with whom he had played in the Longare Castegnero youth teams. Enea currently plays for Este’s U16 team in the Padua area, where he had also scored a goal.
“Fly high, striker,” his friends wrote in tribute, while his classmates at the Lampertico Institute in Vicenza expressed their grief over the loss of the young footballer.
The Accident Near Ponte di Barbarano
The circumstances of the accident are being investigated by the Vicenza Carabinieri, who responded to the scene together with Suem emergency services.
According to an initial reconstruction, Manuel, who lived with his mother in Castegnero Nanto, on Via Venezia, was cycling home. A few minutes after 1:00 a.m., as he was travelling north along Provincial Road 247 and approaching a roundabout a few hundred metres before the entrance to Ponte di Barbarano, he was hit by a car travelling in the same direction.
The impact threw the 15-year-old onto the asphalt before he ended up in a roadside ditch several metres away. According to information made public, Manuel had been with his father in Barbarano and was returning to his mother’s home.
Emergency Response
The driver stopped and, after realising the seriousness of the situation, immediately alerted the 118 emergency operations centre. A Suem ambulance, with a doctor on board, arrived at the scene.
The 15-year-old was unconscious. He was stabilised, intubated and rushed to San Bortolo Hospital in Vicenza, where he was immediately admitted to intensive care.
Driver’s Account: “It Was Dark, I Didn’t See Him”
The driver told the Carabinieri that he had not seen the bicycle.
“It was very dark,” he said, still shaken by the incident. “I didn’t even notice him until he suddenly appeared in front of me.”
The Carabinieri have notified the Prosecutor’s Office, while investigations are continuing to determine the circumstances of the accident and any possible responsibility. Authorities are also considering whether to seize the vehicles and open an investigation into vehicular homicide.
It also remains to be determined whether the 15-year-old’s bicycle had its light switched on at the time of the accident.
Death of Manuel Korreshi
The 15-year-old’s condition was critical from the outset. Despite doctors’ efforts and the hopes of his family and friends, his condition did not improve.
Shortly before 8:00 p.m., doctors announced the tragic news of Manuel’s death.
“This is a tragedy that deeply saddens us,” said Castegnero Nanto Mayor Manuela Vecchiatti. “Manuel was only 15 years old, and his death has affected our entire community. At this time, our thoughts are especially with his family, whose grief we share.”
“Rest in peace, Manu,” “Forever one of us,” and “You left us far too soon,” some of his friends wrote, devastated by the loss of the 15-year-old.
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