Gennaro Laudato never recovered from his huge crash which happened on 17 August 2008, during the Svolte di Popoli hillclimb, and died of cardiac arrest five years later, on Wednesday, 04 September 2013. He was 59.

The event, held in the village of Popoli, province of Pescara, Italy, was a round of the 2008 TIVM - Trofeo Italiano Velocità Montagna (Italian Hillclimb Trophy). On the approach to the second U-turn of the 7.5-kilometer course, less than one kilometer after the start, the red Seat Ibiza TDI #35 of Gennaro Laudato, then aged 54, went out of control, hitting a small wall on the left side. The vehicle then bounced back on track, crashing backwards into the barrier at the outside of the bend, being badly damaged. It is believed that the car experienced brake problems before crashing.

The driver was found unconscious by rescuers and was taken to Popoli hospital. Several hours later he was transferred by helicopter to the Neurochirurgia unit of the Avezzano hospital. Gennaro Laudato suffered cranial traumatism and internal injuries. He remained in a coma for several weeks and returned home after numerous months of rehabilitation.

Hailing from Cava dei Tirreni, province of Salerno, Italy, Gennaro Laudato was a very popular racer among spectators and fellow racers alike, and his death was a huge blow to the Italian hillclimbing community.

R.I.P