Reality TV star Mano Machinek has died aged 37 after a horror car crash while filming an advert in northern Italy.
The model was behind the wheel of a blue Porsche 993 RS when the vehicle reportedly left the road on Mottarone Mountain near Gignese last Thursday. Emergency crews, including firefighters, paramedics and an air ambulance, rushed to the scene after the crash. Rescuers managed to free Mano from the wreckage and attempted CPR, but sadly he could not be saved.
Details of the crash
The Porsche had been hired for the production and was not Mano's own vehicle. Reports state he lost control on a bend, causing the car to roll down a steep slope before hitting a tree.
The exact cause of the crash remains unknown, and it has been reported that cameras were not filming at the time of the incident.
Advert shoot and career
The advert shoot had been organised by a Milan-based production company, with the road closed specifically for the filming. Further scenes were planned later that day at Lake Maggiore.
Mano was best known for appearing on Austrian reality show Forsthaus Rampensau alongside his partner Maria Maksimovic in 2022.
Away from television, the German model, who lived in Switzerland with Maria, was known for his love of cars and regularly shared pictures from motoring events online.
Tributes and investigation
The Austrian broadcaster ATV confirmed his death in an Instagram post, writing: “We mourn Mano, who died in a car accident.
“Our sincere condolences to the bereaved. Maria, we wish you every strength and are thinking of you.”
Maria paid an emotional tribute to her partner, revealing he had died doing something he loved.
She wrote: “My beloved Mano has died in a tragic car accident – while doing something he loved more than almost anything else in this world: driving a car.
“He was at the wheel of a Porsche, a car that meant so much more to him than just a vehicle.
“Everyone who knew Mano knew how much he loved cars, the road and the feeling of freedom behind the wheel.”
Maria, who had been in a relationship with Mano since January 2019, added: “It breaks my heart that exactly what he loved so much became the moment I had to say goodbye to him.”
Tributes have since flooded in from fans, friends and fellow reality stars following the tragic news.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash, including the details of the commercial shoot.
