Not nails, but a crack: a particularly jagged crack in the asphalt is thought to be the cause of the punctures in the tires of dozens and dozens of cars that passed this morning on the State Road 131 DCN, on the road between Olbia and Nuoro.
This is the conclusion reached by Nuoro traffic police officers, who this morning attempted to shed light on a significant incident involving dozens of motorists. The number of those injured cannot be precisely determined, as a final tally has yet to be compiled, but estimates suggest around a hundred.
However, ANAS intervened to deny this reconstruction: "The prompt checks carried out by technical personnel on site allowed us to exclude, with reasonable certainty, a direct causal link between these events and the minor imperfections found on the road surface."
The story
Chaos broke out mid-morning. Numerous vehicles were forced to stop on the side of the road due to slashes and holes in their tires, mostly on the right side. It appeared someone had launched a coordinated action, as broken-down cars were also spotted on the 129 and at the entrance to the 389 to Lanusei. However, these vehicles' tires deflated more slowly and were able to travel more kilometers.
The traffic dispatcher was overwhelmed, while the line of vehicles stalled along the Olbia-Nuoro highway grew ever longer, with drivers forced to use jacks. The road was closed to traffic, and the police immediately began investigating for the nails, whose presence had been reported from the very beginning. This, therefore, was the first lead to a cause for the severe disruption. But upon arriving on the scene, the officers quickly dismissed it: not a single nail was visible on the asphalt.
The reconstruction
If everyone had assumed someone had decided to ruin Easter Monday for many of his fellow citizens, the truth would soon emerge: on the road, not far from the Lula junction, a crack was discovered, its edges so jagged that they would cut tires. The road was closed and repairs were carried out. Since then, with traffic resuming, no further accidents or punctures have been reported. Now the word is in the hands of the insurance companies: if the Highway Patrol's theory is confirmed, who will pay?
Anas' position
Anas has no intention of being implicated, and has provided its version in a statement. Or rather, it dismantles the reconstruction of the The road company does not provide an alternative: "This morning, along the Nuoro section of state road 131, the "Diramazione Centrale Nuorese," a significant number of vehicles were involved in punctures. However," the road company adds, " the prompt checks carried out by Anas technical staff on site allowed us to exclude, with reasonable certainty, a direct causal link between these events and the minor imperfections found on the road surface."
In particular, the anomalies identified, which are defined as "small in size and lacking characteristics that could cause damage to the tires," appear "technically incompatible with the type and prevalence of the reported punctures. Blaming these irregularities for the incident therefore appears to be a simplification unsupported by objective evidence."
But something was done: "With a view to maximum prevention and safety, Anas intervened immediately, proceeding to restore the road surface, which was returned to full regularity conditions."