• [Irish Mirror Icon]
• News
• World News
• Italy

Couple drove 62 miles with son 'asleep' in back then realised he was dead

A family holiday ended in heartbreak when a couple drove 62 miles with their son in the back seat, only to discover he was unconscious and had no pulse after suffering a heart attack

[couple in car]

View 3 Images

The man had reportedly been suffering from obesity and heart issues (stock) (Image: Getty Images)

A family holiday ended in heartbreak when a couple drove 62 miles with their son in the back seat, only to realise he had died. It took place on Sunday (August 16) at about 7.30am on the A21 Turin-Piacenza motorway in northern Italy.

A fatal heart attack claimed the life of the 31-year-old son, named L.T, who was in the back. It happened without warning, and his parents, unaware that anything was wrong and thinking he was merely sleeping, continued driving before later realising what had happened.

Originally from Romania, the man had reportedly been suffering from obesity and heart issues for several years and travelled with oxygen tanks. They'd been on a trip to their home country and were returning to their home in Montpellier, France.

After trying to speak to him and getting no reply, his father pulled into a lay-by, and the discovery was made at a service station near Voghera. It was only then that they realised he wasn't asleep - he was unconscious and had no pulse.

[Bologna, Italy July 27-2025 an emergency ambulance is parked along a sunlit italian street beneath traditional portico arches. the warm colors, classical architectural details, and shaded colonnade contrast with the modern emergency vehicle, capturing a blend of historic urban character and everyday civic life.]

View 3 Images

A doctor confirmed that he'd died (stock)(Image: Getty Images)

Having called local emergency services on 118, a doctor could do nothing but confirm he'd died. His last words had been spoken around 100 kilometres earlier on the journey.

Law enforcement and the Alessandria Ovest motorway police were in attendance at the scene.

It follows another tragic death in Italy in July. Alice Ferrari, 11, died after her hair got trapped in a swimming pool's suction pipe while on holiday with her family in Sestri Levante in Lombardy.

She'd entered an indoor pool to escape the sizzling heat outside on the beach, but was dragged underwater. A second child raised the alarm after spotting that she hadn't returned to the surface.

[Couple in car]

View 3 Images

It took place on on the A21 Turin-Piacenza motorway in northern Italy (stock)(Image: Getty Images/Westend61)

Daniele Muzio, co-manager at the lido, jumped in and cut her hair free with scissors.

After being brought to the surface, Alice was given CPR for 45 minutes and was transferred to hospital on an air ambulance, but she sadly passed away.

Nello Musumeci, Italy's Minister for Civil Protection and Maritime Policies, said: "In the last three months, five minors have died in swimming pools. Strict discipline is needed, but also greater caution is needed in never leaving children alone in the water.

"The Meloni government's bill, aimed at this goal, will be approved by the relevant committee within the month, and we will do everything possible to schedule it urgently."

Alice, a budding equestrian, was described as a "promising young rider with a bright future ahead of her" by the Italian Equestrian Sports Federation.

[Irish Mirror Icon]

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Choose Irish Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.