A grandmother has been found crushed by a bulldozer after a man was allegedly doing ‘works on the beach’ without a licence.
Elisa Spadvecchia, 66, was so horrifically mangled that ‘even the lifeguard who witnessed the scene fell ill and ended up in hospital’.
The retired teacher was on holiday in Pinarella di Cervia, near Bologna, Italy, with her ex-husband when he realised she hadn’t returned from her walk.
After he tracked her body down on Saturday to a beach she had decided to sunbathe on, Giovanni Sfregola said he is now in an ‘ocean of pain’.
The bulldozer driver, Lerry Gnoli, has been charged with manslaughter and authorities are looking in to why he was on the beach, Need To Know reported.
The 54-year-old allegedly has a previous conviction for homicide and was released without any pre-trial conditions.
He claimed he was authorised to carry out ‘works on the beach’ at the time although it has been reported he was operating the heavy equipment without the correct licence.
Mr Sfregola, who shares a three-month-old grandson with the victim, told local media: ‘My wife went for her walk carrying only her phone.
Elisa Spadvecchia, 66, was found crushed by a bulldozer after a man was allegedly doing ‘works on the beach’ without a licence where she sunbathed
The bulldozer driver, Lerry Gnoli, 54, has been charged with manslaughter and authorities are looking in to why he was on the beach
‘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.’
Speaking about the tragic loss at such an exciting time in their lives, the retired policeman said: ‘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.’
Tributes have been pouring in from loved ones and former pupils at the Quadri high school in Vicenza where she had retired from as an English teacher.
A colleague and friend of many years, Donatella Lovison, said the news had left her ‘breathless’.
The retired teacher was so horrifically mauled that ‘even the lifeguard who witnessed the scene fell ill and ended up in hospital’
‘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!’ she wrote
Anna Spata, who worked with Ms Spadavecchia on a project, said: ‘Very sad news. I remember Elisa with affection and esteem.
‘My thoughts go back to the Poseidon project group and to our strong friendship, to the commitment and passion that united us.’
Cinzia Zanesco said she was ‘speechless’ and knew her old colleague was ‘enjoying this phase of life’ with her new granddaughter.
She added: ‘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.
‘We are preparing a letter to her husband and we will try to be close to him as much as possible as former colleagues of Elisa.’
Elena Ruffato said ‘We are dismayed – she spreads her arms – we are speechless in the face of a tragedy.
Gnoli claimed he was authorised to carry out ‘works on the beach’ at the time although it has been reported he was operating the heavy equipment without the correct licence
‘She was a colleague full of vitality, she was very good with IT.
‘She had retired before Covid, she would have been very useful to us when technology held up a shack that was leaking from all sides.
‘We will try to be close to her husband in this terrible moment. You can’t die like this, I hope he gets justice.’
Another former colleague, Nico Pigato, said she was ‘cheerful person’ and ‘well-liked by everyone’.
Gnoli’s lawyer, Vittoria Manes’ said his client is ‘terribly sorry’ and that it is a ‘huge tragedy’.
‘She was one of the first to introduce the use of IT at school and her end-of-year sweets were legendary,’ he added.
He added: ‘He can’t understand how it could have happened and sends his condolences to the woman’s family.’
Since the tragedy took place on a beach, Gnoli can’t be charged with road homicide despite driving a vehicle – a charge which could lead to an arrest.
The mayor of Ms Spadavecchia’s hometown just outside Vicenza, Carmela Maresco said the ‘town is stunned by this terrible news’.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .