Pasquale Brignola, an 80-year-old former marshal of the Italian Air Force, died after being struck by a car in Francolise, in the province of Caserta, on 31 October 2026.
A 73-year-old woman who appeared to be driving the vehicle was placed under investigation in a case opened by the Santa Maria Capua Vetere Public Prosecutor's Office for suspected vehicular manslaughter.
What happened
Initial reports said Brignola was struck near the road entering Francolise. Emergency responders took him to the civilian hospital in Caserta, where he later died from his injuries.
Preliminary accounts indicate that Brignola may have been helping the woman change a tire when the car moved and struck him. One account reported that the handbrake was said to have been engaged, but whether and how it was engaged remained unresolved.
The investigation
The prosecutor ordered an autopsy and recorded the vehicle's driver in the register of suspects.
Carabinieri were examining surveillance-camera footage. The precise dynamics of the incident remained unclear.
Brignola's family appointed consultants and was represented by lawyers Raffaele and Gaetano Crisileo and Antonio Ventrone.
Timeline based on published reports
- 31 October 2026: Brignola is struck by a car near the entrance to Francolise.
- 31 October 2026: He is transported to the civilian hospital in Caserta, where he later dies from his injuries.
- Following the death: The Santa Maria Capua Vetere Public Prosecutor's Office opens a case for suspected vehicular manslaughter, orders an autopsy, and places the 73-year-old driver under investigation.
What remains unresolved
- The exact sequence of events that caused the car to move while Brignola was near it.
- Whether the handbrake was engaged and what role, if any, it played.
- The available reports do not establish the outcome of the autopsy or the prosecutor's subsequent decisions.
- The reports do not provide a final judicial determination of responsibility.
