6 days ago
Nan crushed to death by beach bulldozer so badly that people who saw fell ill
A new grandmother was tragically crushed to death by a bulldozer while on a beach - the crush was so horrific that a lifeguard had to be hospitalised
A grandma was crushed to death by a bulldozer, while she was sunbathing on a beach, by a man who was allegedly doing works at the scene "without a licence".
Elisa Spadvecchia, 66, was crushed so horrifically that the lifeguard who witnessed the incident became so ill that he had to be hospitalised. The retired teacher had been on holiday with her ex-husband, Giovanni Sfregola, in the Italian seaside town of Pinarella di Cervia, near Bologna. The victim's ex-husband sounded the alarm when he noticed she had not returned from her walk. He used Find My iPhone to see where she was and said he is now in an "ocean of pain" after her death.
Police arrested the bulldozer driver Lerry Gnoli, 54, and are investigating why he was on the beach in the first place - he has been charged with manslaughter.
Gnoli told authorities he was allegedly authorised to carry out "works on the beach". Despite this, it was reported he had been using the machine without the correct license.
The victim's ex-husband recalled what happened that tragic day to local Italian media, saying: "My wife went for her walk carrying only her phone. When it happened, she had nothing on her that could identify her.
"Not seeing her come back, I started calling her, but she didn't answer. So I used 'Find My iPhone' to locate her phone. Once I found it, I got someone to take me to the exact spot where, sadly, I found my wife.
"They didn't let me see her, but they told me that even the lifeguard who witnessed the scene fell ill and ended up in hospital."
The former policeman said they had been celebrating the birth of their three-month-old grandchild, which they shared, before this tragedy. He added: "We were over the moon since my daughter's child was born. He's not even three months old yet.
"Now, for us, it's just an ocean of pain. Something devastating that consumes you inside because you can't come to terms with it." A flood of emotional tributes were made to the beloved retired English teacher.
Elisa's former colleague and friend, Donatella Lovison, said: "I couldn't believe it, hearing her name spoken! I remember all the fruitful moments of study and research spent together. I hope she gets justice!"
Another old colleague, Cinzia Zanesco, said she was particularly heartbroken as she knew Elisa was "enjoying this phase of life" as a grandparent. She said: "It's crazy that she was killed in this way, it doesn't make sense. From one day to the next, from one moment to the next your life can change and everything can disappear. We have to realise this."
Gnoli's lawyer, Vittoria Manes' said his client was "terribly sorry" and called the death a "huge tragedy". He said: "She was one of the first to introduce the use of IT at school and her end-of-year sweets were legendary. He can't understand how it could have happened and sends his condolences to the woman's family."
