15-year-old Albanian footballer dies in Italy after being hit by car while cycling

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 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 pediatric intensive care unit. The injuries sustained in the crash were too severe.

Manuel Korreshi attended the Lampertico Institute in Vicenza and played football for AC Este. He is survived by his parents, of Albanian origin, and his older brother Enea, with whom he had played in the Longare Castegnero youth teams. Enea currently plays for the Este U16 side in the Padua area, where he had also scored a goal.

“Fly high, striker,” his friends remembered him, while schoolmates at the Lampertico Institute in Vicenza expressed their grief over the loss of the young footballer.

The crash near Ponte di Barbarano

The circumstances of the crash are being investigated by the Vicenza Carabinieri, who intervened together with the 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., while traveling on provincial road 247 heading north and approaching a roundabout a few hundred meters before the entrance to Ponte di Barbarano, he was hit by a car traveling in the same direction.

The impact threw the 15-year-old onto the asphalt and then into the ditch beside the road, several meters away. According to published information, Manuel had been with his father in Barbarano and was returning to his mother.

Rescue response

The driver stopped and, realizing the gravity of the situation, immediately alerted the 118 operations center. A Suem ambulance with a doctor on board arrived at the scene.

The 15-year-old had lost consciousness. He was stabilized, intubated and urgently transported 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 he had not seen the bicycle.

“It was very dark,” he said, still shaken by the incident. “I didn’t even notice until he suddenly appeared in front of me.”

The Carabinieri have notified the Prosecutor’s Office, and investigations continue to determine the circumstances of the crash and possible liabilities. The seizure of the vehicles and the opening of an investigation into vehicular homicide are also being considered.

It also remains to be determined whether the 15-year-old’s bicycle had its light on at the moment of the crash.

The death of Manuel Korreshi

The 15-year-old’s condition was critical from the first moments. Despite the efforts of doctors and the hopes of family and friends, his condition did not improve.

Shortly before 8:00 p.m., doctors delivered the grave news of Manuel’s death.

“This is a tragedy that saddens us deeply,” said the mayor of Castegnero Nanto, Manuela Vecchiatti. “Manuel was only 15 years old and his death has touched our entire community. At this time, our thoughts go especially to his family, with whom we share the grief.”

“Rest in peace Manu,” “Forever one of us,” “Gone too soon,” wrote several of his friends, shaken by the loss of the 15-year-old.