Tuesday, March 12, 2024 – A British couple and their five-month-old baby have been killed after a driver who tested positive for alcohol and drugs mowed down a group of holidaymakers in Lanzarote last night, officials have said.
According to Mail Online, six people were injured in the horror collision in the tourist resort of Playa Blanca, including a family of British holidaymakers and a mother and daughter from Sweden.
All of those injured are still in hospital, local officials have said, and the father and grandmother of the five-month-old who died suffered the most serious injuries.
The driver of the car that mounted the pavement and smashed into them is a 23-year-old British woman who lives on the island, and is not currently in custody, officials said.
Mayor Oscar Noda said that the British family had been 'walking along the pavement in a correct and normal way when they were mown down by a vehicle that was totally out of control.'
'The moments that followed were very delicate and very traumatic,' he added.
Yaiza Town Hall has declared two days of mourning and organised a minute's silence.
Mayor Noda, said this morning: 'The accident caused seven victims, including the five-year-old baby that died.
'The survivors came from two families, one from Sweden and the other of British origin. They are the parents of the child that died and the baby's maternal grandparents.
'The ones in the worst condition this morning are the baby's father and maternal grandmother. All the survivors are still in hospital.
'We hope they all recover.'
He added: 'I am going to declare two days of mourning and tomorrow at midday a minute's silence will be held at the doors of the town hall.
Town hall officials also confirmed today that two people from Sweden, a mother and daughter, were hurt, along with four British people were injured and another died.
'The mother and father of the youngster are among the injured as well as the baby's two maternal grandparents.
'The father of the baby and the baby's grandmother are the most seriously injured.'
A spokesperson for Yaiza Town Hall said that the unnamed driver had tested positive for both drink and drugs at the scene of the accident.
They added: 'The driver is not being held in custody at the moment. She lives on the island and can be located at her address if necessary.
It was not immediately clear when she will be summoned to court.
A spokesperson said in a statement earlier: 'The investigation, which is being led by Yaiza local police, remains open. Yaiza Town Hall extends its solidarity to the victims and their families.'
The incident happened just before 6.30pm local time on a bend in a main road near the Aqualava water park and four-star HL hotel.
The unnamed driver is said to have claimed after the incident that she had experienced a problem with her steering.
Witnesses told police they thought she had been going too fast, although there was no mention of drink and drugs being a possible factor until town hall officials revealed her nationality and the new details in the ongoing investigation.
Her whereabouts this morning were not immediately clear but she is expected to appear in court today or tomorrow pending a formal arrest.
The court hearing would take place behind closed doors as is normal in Spain where only trials take place in public.
An investigating magistrate would have to decide whether to remand her in custody or release her on bail pending an ongoing probe.
Island authorities are not naming her at present and have only confirmed her nationality and age as well as saying she is resident in Playa Blanca where the tragedy occurred.
One well-placed source said she worked in the area.
Another said: 'She tested positive for both alcohol and drugs but the police haven't released any details about amounts.'
A police spokesman said: 'We're still not in a position to release information about the nationalities and ages of the victims but what I can say is that we're not talking about one family.
'It's an area which is popular with pedestrians and it wasn't just one group of members of the same family that were hit. Different groups were involved.'
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