How did 78-year-old Maria Leonardi die in the Aulla road crash?

Quick answer: Maria Leonardi, a 78-year-old retired French teacher from Sarzana, died in a road crash on the state road 62 "della Cisa" near Aulla on the afternoon of Friday 6 November 2026. The car her husband Enzo Galli was driving left the road and hit the wall running along the carriageway near the locality of Stadano. Rescuers tried to resuscitate her, but she could not be saved. Her husband was practically unhurt.

Key facts

• What: Fatal single-vehicle road crash
• Where: State road 62 "della Cisa", near Stadano, between Aulla and Santo Stefano di Magra, province of Massa-Carrara, Tuscany, Italy
• When: Shortly after 2.30pm on Friday 6 November 2026
• Deaths: 1 — Maria Leonardi, 78
• Injured: None reported; her husband Enzo Galli, who was driving, was practically unhurt but in shock
• Status: Carabinieri investigation under way; cause not yet established

What happened

The crash happened shortly after 2.30pm on Friday 6 November, on the bends of the state road 62 "della Cisa" at Aulla, in the stretch between Aulla and Santo Stefano di Magra. Maria Leonardi was travelling in the car with her husband Enzo Galli, who was driving. The couple were coming from Aulla towards Santo Stefano, on their way back to Sarzana after a visit to Villafranca Lunigiana.

On the most likely reconstruction of events, Mr Galli lost control of the car shortly before the locality of Stadano, possibly because he suffered a sudden illness at the wheel. The car left the carriageway and crashed into the wall running alongside it. The crash happened in front of several other travellers — cars, heavy vehicles and buses — who use this stretch of the old Cisa road.

The causes of the crash are still being established by the Carabinieri and the Lunigiana firefighters, and the sudden illness is so far only a hypothesis, not a confirmed cause.

Emergency response

Public assistance vehicles from Licciana Nardi and Aulla attended the scene, along with a 118 emergency unit with a doctor and a nurse. Mr Galli was practically unhurt, although visibly in shock. His wife's condition appeared immediately very serious, and rescuers tried in every way to resuscitate her before they had to give up and confirm her death.

Who was Maria Leonardi?

Maria Leonardi was 78 and originally from Pitigliano, in the province of Grosseto. She had a degree in languages and had lived in Sarzana for many years, where she taught French to generations of pupils at the Poggi-Carducci middle school. She was the wife of Enzo Galli, originally from Livorno and a former mayor of Rio Marina, on Elba; the couple lived in Via Paganino in Sarzana.

She is survived by three daughters: Virginia, a cultural operator and vice-president of Aiem Liguria; Veronica, a writer who published the novel "Una casa da svuotare" with Mondadori this year; and Beatrice, an English teacher at the same school, who is the mother of four grandchildren. The date of the funeral had not yet been announced.

What happens next

The Carabinieri are continuing their investigation to establish exactly what caused the car to leave the road, including whether Mr Galli suffered a sudden illness. The funeral arrangements are expected to be announced by the family.

Frequently asked questions

### Who died in the Aulla crash? Maria Leonardi, 78, a retired French teacher from Sarzana. She was travelling as a passenger in the car driven by her husband, Enzo Galli.

Where exactly did the crash happen?

On the state road 62 "della Cisa" near Stadano, in the stretch between Aulla and Santo Stefano di Magra, in the province of Massa-Carrara, Tuscany.

What caused the crash?

The cause has not yet been established. The most likely reconstruction is that the driver lost control of the car, possibly because of a sudden illness, but the Carabinieri are still investigating.

Was anyone else hurt?

No. Her husband Enzo Galli, who was driving, was practically unhurt, although he was visibly in shock.

Source: Il Secolo XIX — https://www.ilsecoloxix.it/la-spezia/news/incidente-mortale-sulla-strada-fra-aulla-e-santo-stefano-chi-era-la-78enne-maria-leonardi-q7x3cs5c/

In this story

• Road accidents reported today