Driver in Lanzarote horror crash that killed baby 'was drunk Brit', say police
A driver who ploughed into a group of pedestrians on a busy street in Lanzarote killing a five-month-old baby was a British woman suspected to have been on drink and drugs at the time, Spanish officials have said.
Police on the island have launched an investigation into Monday's horror collision in the tourist resort of Playa Blanca. Officials have also confirmed several of the victims - including the tragic tot who died - were also British.
Yaiza Town Hall announced overnight that the driver of the car which mounted the pavement on a busy street was a 23-year-old British woman living on the island. A spokesperson said in a statement: “The victims of the accident with multiple casualties are a baby that has died and six people who suffered injuries of varying degrees.”
They added: “The person who caused the accident is a 23-year-old woman of British origin who lives in Playa Blanca. She is under investigation because at the scene she showed signs of being under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
“The investigation, which is being led by Yaiza local police, remains open. Yaiza Town Hall extends its solidarity to the victims and their families.” It's believed the driver, whose named has not been released, claimed she was having problems steering the vehicle as it rounded a bend on the road near to Aqualava water park at around 6.30pm.
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Scene of the collision in Playa Blanca, Lanzarote (SOLARPIX.COM)Police, paramedics, and an air ambulance were sent to the scene. Two female survivors are said to be seriously injured and another three people have been hurt. In a full update late last night, a regional government-run emergency response coordination centre said of the tragedy: “The incident occurred at 6.22pm local time.
“A baby aged five months died and six people suffered diverse injuries. During assistance at the scene two women were found to have suffered serious multiple injuries in an initial evaluation and were transferred to Doctor Jose Molina Orosa Hospital in the island capital Arrecife.
“Two other women with several moderate-level multiple injuries were also taken to the same hospital along with two men who had injuries to their lower limbs. Seven land ambulances were sent to the scene and an air ambulance was also mobilised because of the seriousness of the incident along with a doctor and nurse from Playa Blanca Health Centre.
The scene at Playa Blanca where a five-month-old baby was killed (SOLARPIX.COM)“The other emergency responders included firefighters, Civil Protection workers, local police and the Civil Guard. The first 999 calls that came in were about an incident in which a car had run over several people in Archipielago Avenue on the corner of Lanzarote Street.
“The medicalised air ambulance was sent to Lanzarote Airport because it was anticipated one of the most seriously-injured women was going to be transferred to a hospital in Gran Canaria. Local police will be tasked with producing a report on the incident.”
A spokesman for Yaiza Town Hall confirmed the nationality of the baby and its parents and grandparents. They said: “Two people from Sweden, a mother and daughter, were hurt. Four people from the UK were injured along with the baby that 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.”
He added: “The driver is not being held in custody at the moment. She lives on the island and is easily locatable. The drink and drug tests were practiced at the scene.”
It follows a crash last September on the neighbouring Canary island of Fuerteventure, when seven people including two British tourists were injured after a British holidaymaker ploughed into a packed cafe terrace in his hire car. The casualties included a four-month-old baby girl.
Last month an 83-year-old British tourist died after being run over by a bus in Lanzarote. She had been rushed to hospital in a “critical” condition on February 21 after being hit by the vehicle in the popular resort of Costa Teguise and stabilised at the scene.
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