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Lufthansa CEO’s wife flies to Germany after fatally running over woman in Italy

Vivian Spohr, wife of Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr, has left Italy and flown back to Germany after a hit-and-run case

Updated on: Jul 13, 2025, 09:01:44 IST
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Vivian Spohr, wife of Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr, has left Italy and flown back to Germany after a hit-and-run case that led to the death of a 24-year-old babysitter. According to a report in La Repubblica, 24-year-old Gaia Costa was struck by a BMW SUV being driven by Vivian Spohr, the 51-year-old wife of Lufthansa chairman and CEO Carsten Spohr.

Vivian Spohr is the 51-year-old wife of Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr
Vivian Spohr is the 51-year-old wife of Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr

Vivian Spohr leaves Italy after fatal crash

The fatal accident occurred last Tuesday. La Repubblica reported that Vivian has already left the Italian island of Sardinia and gone back to Germany despite being under investigation. A New York Post report added that she had no legal requirement to stay in Sardinia.

“Vivian Spohr, who was involved in the tragic death, expresses her dismay and deep regret over this very serious accident,” said her attorney, Angelo Merlini, adding that Vivian is “at home in Germany but is ready to provide all the information requested by investigators as soon as the Prosecutor's Office deems it appropriate.”

What did Lufthansa CEO’s wife do in Sardinia?

On Tuesday, 24-year-old Gaia Costa was using a pedestrian crosswalk when she was mowed down by a BMW X5. Vivian Spohr was behind the wheel of the BMW during the crash in the Italian seaside resort of Porto Cervo.

Costa, a babysitter, died from severe head injuries even though paramedics worked for 20 minutes trying to revive her.

Initial reports suggested that the Lufthansa CEO’s wife fled the scene. She allegedly continued driving until she was waved down by onlookers. However, these reports were rubbished by her attorney.

“Contrary to what was previously reported, Vivian Spohr stopped after the accident and provided first aid to the girl,” her lawyer was quoted as saying by The Sun on Saturday.

"However, after an initial attempt at resuscitation, Vivian Spohr lost consciousness and fainted." Merlini claimed that Vivian struck the 24-year-old at “very low speed”.

  • Sanya Jain
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sanya Jain

    Sanya Jain is an Assistant Editor with Hindustan Times Digital. She has nearly a decade of experience in covering offbeat stories that speak to the everyday experience - from viral videos to human interest copies that spark conversation. Her interests stretch across business, pop culture, social media trends, entertainment and global affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sanya spent two years with Moneycontrol and five years with NDTV. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature from St Stephen’s College, Delhi, and a master’s in journalism from the Xavier Institute of Communications, Mumbai. Sanya has a sharp eye for spotting emerging trends and looking for newsworthy angles to elevate viral posts into meaningful narratives. She was the first one, for example, to cover Narayana Murthy’s remark on 70-hour work weeks that sparked a national conversation. She is equally at ease writing about business leaders as about the common man, about issues of national importance and memes that amuse social media. Sanya enjoys speaking with content creators, newsmakers and entrepreneurs to transform everyday moments into engaging, slice-of-life stories that resonate with readers. When she is not working, Sanya can be found curled up with a good book. Born and raised in Lucknow, she has spent the last several years in Delhi. She is deeply interested in animal welfare and now spends a lot of her time running after her destructive orange cat.Read More

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