An Italian YouTuber driving a rented Lamborghini SUV as part of a social media stunt crashed into a Smart car in Rome, killing a five-year-old boy and injuring his mother and four-year-old sister.
Matteo Di Pietro, 20, was allegedly driving the blue Lamborghini Urus with four other YouTubers as passengers when it collided head-on with the family’s Smart Farfour around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Five-year-old Manuel Proietti was rushed to a hospital in Ostia along with his mother and sister, but the little boy died soon after.
Manuel’s mother, Elena Uccello, 29, is still being treated at hospital for her injuries, while his four-year-old sister, whose name has not been identified, has been released into the care of her paternal grandparents.
Locals claim the YouTubers in the SUV had attempted to overtake a speeding car while taunting other drivers as part of a social media stunt before colliding head-on with the family’s smart car after Elena picked up to their children from kindergarten.
Five-year-old Manuel Proietti (left) was rushed to a hospital in Ostia along with his mother and sister, but the boy died soon after. Manuel’s mother, Elena Uccello, 29, (center), is still being treated at hospital for her injuries, while his four-year-old sister (right), whose name has not been identified, was released under the care of their paternal grandparents.
Matteo Di Pietro, 20, (pictured) was allegedly driving the blue Lamborghini Urus with four other YouTubers as passengers when it collided head-on with the family’s Smart Farfour around 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Locals claim the YouTubers in the SUV had attempted to overtake a speeding car while taunting other drivers as part of a social media stunt before colliding head-on with the family’s smart car (pictured: the scene)
Just two hours before the accident, social media influencer Vito Loiacono, who was riding as a passenger in the Lamborghini, had posted a video on his TikTok mocking smart cars for being cheaper compared to his rental sports car.
‘This woman in the smart car, what is she doing? Hello love, your car is 300 euros, used, from Concad (Italian retail store). Mine costs a billion, it’s worth as much as Amazon’, says Loiacano in the video from inside the Lamborghini.
Hours later, Loiacano joined driver Di Pietro and three other YouTubers, who have more than 600,000 followers, for a stunt in the Lamborghini. It was during this fateful trip that they crashed into Elena’s car, killing her five-year-old son and injuring her four-year-old daughter.
Residents said they heard a ‘terrifying crash’ to find a man giving Manuel first aid at the scene of the accident.
“I was at home when I heard a terrifying crash and I went outside. Within a few minutes, a lot of people arrived and there was a boy who was giving first aid to the boy, trying to give him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,” a local told Il Messaggero. “I couldn’t get close because it was a horrible scene.”
On the pavement next to the crash site, there are still pieces of the Lamborghini’s blue bodywork that were separated from the SUV by the impact of the crash.
Five of those inside the van belonged to a group called ‘The BorderLine’. The YouTubers had been taking part in a social media challenge in which influencers participate in stunts in a bid to win prizes, Corriere della Sera reports..
They had been trying to spend 50 hours straight in the luxury vehicle.
Prosecutors in Rome are investigating Di Pietro for vehicular manslaughter and aggravated assault, while traffic police try to figure out who was filming the stunts from inside the Lamborghini.
Just two hours before the accident, social media influencer Vito Loiacono, who was a passenger in the Lamborghini, had posted a video on his TikTok mocking smart cars for being cheaper compared to his rental sports car.
Initial reports had suggested that Loiacono (pictured) was driving the Lamborghini at the time of the accident, but it was later confirmed that Di Pietro was behind the wheel.
They have seized the phones of the five youtubers, who belong to the TheBorderline group.
YouTubers documented their challenges on social media, and in one video, Loiacono was seen kissing the Lamborghini before saying, “I’m the lead in Fast & Furious.” What is this lever for? It’s to go to space.
Initial reports had suggested that Loiacono was driving the Lamborghini at the time of the accident, but it was later confirmed that Di Pietro was behind the wheel.
Shortly after the accident, Loiacono wrote in an Instagram post: “The trauma I am experiencing is indescribable. I just want to say that I have never been behind the wheel and I am very close to the victim’s family.
When news of the accident broke, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini said repeat offenders who cause fatal accidents should lose their driver’s license for life.
Salvini said today: “A five-year-old boy has died outside Rome, apparently a social media challenge was taking place involving five YouTubers in a Lamborghini and they crushed this boy.”
“If you’re a repeat offender and you take someone’s life because you’re a jerk behind the wheel, you don’t see your license for the rest of your life, it’s not like I’ll suspend it for a few months.”
Alessio D’Amato, Lazio’s regional councilor, said the social media accounts of those involved in the crash must be closed immediately.
“Today I join the pain of little Manuel’s family, hoping that his mother and little sister recover soon, aware that the immense pain of the parents will not be able to heal,” said D’Amato.
I am Rakesh Sharma, I associated with Elite News as an Editor, since 2021. I take care of all the news operations like content, budget, hiring and policy making.