RAVELLO – A tourist bus ended up in a ravine and the driver was killed instantly after he plunged 70 feet (20 M) off a cliff at the wheel of the vehicle whilst descending along the Amalfi coast. Nicola Fusco, died just moments after he had dropped all the tourists off in Ravello. 

 According to initial reconstructions and CCTV images, Fusco, 28, was driving the 32-seater bus along the state road 373 in the direction of Castiglione when the vehicle skidded on a bend. After slamming into a low wall, the bus first ended up on the road below before plunging 20 metres into via Valle del Dragone, ending up close to a private house which was fortunately not inhabited at the time of the accident. 

 Fusco’s body was thrown out of the vehicle and when rescuers arrived, they pronounced him dead at the scene. 

 Just minutes before the accident occurred, Fusco had dropped off the group of 32 tourists in Ravello. The group were staying in a hotel further along the coastline and had booked a sightseeing trip to the town. 

 The Salerno Public Prosecutor’s office has opened an enquiry into the accident, delegating the investigation to the Amalfi Carabinieri. The state road 373 remains closed while safety operations are being performed. 

 The Mayor of Ravello, Paolo Vuilleumier, has released a statement describing the accident as “A tragedy that breaks a young life and that strikes the heart of the community.”

 He is also grateful that all the tourists had been dropped off and the incident “was not as horrendous as it could have been.”

 Following the accident, Democratic Party deputy, Piero De Luca, has emphasised the importance of road safety. “The issue of interventions for full road safety throughout the coast is a real emergency that can no longer be postponed.”

 cw