Italian rally champion, Giulia Maroni 'dies after plummeting 164 ft while walking her dog on the Modena Apennines'

Italian rally champion, Giulia Maroni has reportedly died after plummeting 164 feet while walking her dog on the Modena Apennines. 

The 37-year-old was said to be out walking her dog with her partner Simona Panzacchi on Sunday afternoon when she slipped and fell off the mountain edge. 

Maroni was hiking Mount Libro Aperto in the Pizzo dei Sassi Bianchi area, when she reportedly fell 164 feet, colliding with trees and rocks.

Maroni’s partner is said to have called the emergency services, who arrived on the scene to airlift the rally driver to the Maggiore hospital in Bologna.

Maroni arrived at the hospital and received treatment, but died on Sunday evening, January 28. 

Mountain rescue station chief Nicolas Barattini told local media: ‘We saw immediately that the woman’s condition was unfortunately very serious.’

Barattini went on to add: ‘It was a tragic fatality, the woman [Maroni] placed her foot badly and slipped.’

The 4X4 Magazine, where she was collaborating as a correspondent and photographer, announced the news with the following statement: ‘The week starts with very bad news. 

‘An accident in the mountains took away Giulia Maroni, a passionate sportsman and off-roader, who had also collaborated with our magazine. Rip Giulia.’