Written by By Janna Johnson, CNN
This is the tragic story of a person struck by a vehicle and killed in a sidewalk that abruptly ends with no warning.
The sidewalk wound into a split, cutting through three of St. Peter’s Square’s pedestrian gates. This information is in service of a photomontage of the scene of the accident in the Italian capital, which took place on Tuesday, with pictures of victims.
The knotted-up pathway ended at the area designated for people to get out of sight of St. Peter’s Square and to walk to the nearby Tiber river.
The accident took place just as people were walking to watch Pope Francis leave the St. Peter’s basilica for his departure ceremony, and has grabbed media attention in Italy and abroad.
Footage from the scene shows the moment a Fiat 520 Bonneville coming around a corner hit the pedestrian. Bystanders ran to help the bleeding victim, but their efforts came too late.
The Fiat truck was carried away by rescue workers, while pedestrian gates on either side were intact.