Two young cousins hit and killed by car in Sicily

 Two boys were killed when they were ran down by an SUV in the Sicilian town of Vittoria on Thursday.

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.