Cousins Alessio D’Antonio, 11, and Simone D’Antonio, 12, were playing outside their home on Thursday evening, when the vehicle ploughed into them.
Alessio was pronounced dead at the scene, while Simone was rushed to Messina’s hospital in a serious condition.
Simone was operated on and his legs were amputated.
“The boy was operated on but unfortunately we weren’t able to save his legs which were sliced off during the crash,” the hospital’s intensive care chief, Eloisa Gitto, told Italian news agency ANSA.
As 3000 people gathered for the funeral of Alessio on Sunday, it was announced that Simone had died from his injuries.
The driver of the SUV was identified as Rosario Greco, 37, who tested positive for alcohol and cocaine, according to police.
Greco is known to police for crimes related to drugs and weapons.
He was charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and will be questioned on Monday.
Alessio’s father made an appeal to deputy prime ministers, Matteo Salvini and Luigi Di Maio, for the alleged killer to be handed an adequate sentence.
“I want to make an appeal to Salvini and Di Maio for full and true justice to be served,” he said.
“I hope that whoever killed my son and my nephew is not sentenced to two or three years.”
Salvini was quick to reassure the boys’ family that justice would be served.
“Prison, for years and without exceptions, for whoever killed these two little angels,” he wrote on Twitter.
Di Maio echoed Salvini’s response.
“I give my word that that murderer will pay for what he did,” Di Maio declared.
“The State will see that justice is served and the government will ensure that it is done as soon as possible.”
