Tragedy on the highway: 14-year-old dies after being struck by a car while returning from practice

Tragedy at Tritium: Rayan Lawaj, a 14-year-old soccer player for the Trezzo sull’Adda club, has died. On Tuesday evening, while returning from practice, the boy was struck by a car as he was walking along the former State Road 498 in the Ghisalba area.

The young man, of Moroccan descent and a resident of Martinengo, was studying in Bergamo and, before joining Tritium, had also played for Comun Nuovo and Uso Zanica. The tragic incident occurred around 10:40 p.m., as the 14-year-old was walking near the intersection of the provincial road and Via Crocette. Emergency services were alerted immediately, and Rayan was transported to Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital in Bergamo in critical condition. Hopes were dashed on Friday night.

Tritium’s sports director, Giuseppe Pardeo, spoke to *La Gazzetta dello Sport*: “We don’t have shuttles or minibuses for transportation, and when we found out where he lived, we suggested that the boy join a team closer to home. We left the choice up to him, but we’ll say this to everyone: it’s better to play close to home; you shouldn’t have to face an hour-long commute every time, unless you’re playing professionally. We stand with the family in their grief and pray for him.”

The mayor of Martinenzo, Pasquale Busetti, said: “I offer my deepest condolences to the family—this is a tragedy. I would like to emphasize once again how extremely dangerous State Road 498 is, a danger compounded by the narrow roadway.”