The men were named as Gianluca Barbanti, 38 , and Giuseppe Spampinato, 49, both killed on impact; and a third warder, Piero Tatoli, 48, who died shortly after arriving at Catania’s Cannizzaro hospital.
The three were travelling in a Peugeot 208 driven by Tatoli which, for so far unknown reasons, swerved into the path of a Lancia Delta coming in the opposite direction.
The Lancia driver was injured.
All of the prison officers were married, each had one child, and Barbanti’s wife is expecting their second.
Italian officials voiced condolences and a local feast of a patron saint was suspended.
The general secretary of the Autonomous Penitentiary Police Union (Sappe), Donato Capece, said the tragic news “came like a bolt from the blue and froze everyone”.
“[It’s a] huge tragedy,” he said.
ANSA
