Horrifying moment British tourist’s hire car smashes into cafe terrace in Fuerteventura, injuring eight people, including a four-month-old baby
This is the horror moment when a British tourist drives into a crowded café terrace on the holiday island of Fuerteventura in a rental car and injures eight people, including a four-month-old baby.
A man in a red T-shirt and blue jeans, who landed on the hood of the vehicle, appeared to be one of the few victims who realized what was about to happen and can be seen trying to put the baby in his pram. to rescue.
Footage published by a local newspaper of the dramatic incident showed that the other victims were completely unaware of the car.
One of the victims was a lady in a pink dress who was hit with her feet against a neighboring building and hit her head on the ground.
You could see bystanders going to the driver’s door in the seconds after the accident before running off to call for help.
Five of the injured, including the baby and an 18-year-old woman, were seriously injured.
One of the victims was a lady in a pink dress (right) who was slammed feet first into a neighboring building and fell headfirst to the ground
A man in a red T-shirt and blue jeans (center) landed on the hood of the vehicle as the car pulled onto the cafe terrace
The English driver, whose name has not been released, was also taken to hospital. His condition was unclear this morning.
The accident happened yesterday morning in the tourist hotspot of Corralejo.
Local police chief Jorge Fleitas confirmed at the scene: “A rental car, driven by a person of English descent, lost control of the vehicle in circumstances that are still under investigation.”
Isai Blanco, mayor of the municipality of La Oliva, which Corralejo is part of, added: ‘Our thoughts are with the people affected by this tragic incident.
“We are working closely with the relevant authorities to try to clarify what happened and offer our support to the victims and their families at this difficult time.”
The nationalities of the injured have not yet been released.
In addition to the teenager and the baby, the other seriously injured victims were a 49-year-old woman and two men, aged 40 and 43.
A five-year-old girl and two men, aged 44 and 50, were also injured.
The accident happened yesterday morning in the tourist hotspot Corralejo on a café terrace
The car can be seen pulling into a café terrace in the tourist hotspot of Corralejo
In addition to the teenager and the baby, the other seriously injured victims were a 49-year-old woman and two men, aged 40 and 43.
This is the horror moment when a British tourist drives into a crowded café terrace on the holiday island of Fuerteventura in a rental car
You could see bystanders going to the driver’s door in the seconds after the accident before running off to call for help
A photo of the aftermath of the crash shows the car’s windshield smashed and the hood dented
According to local reports, the British rental car driver had tested negative for both drugs and alcohol during mandatory tests.
Investigators allegedly pondered the possibility last night that he had a health problem behind the wheel of his vehicle.
After yesterday’s incident, police suspected the driver may have suffered a heart attack or other medical emergency behind the wheel. Canary magazine reported.
Photos show the rental car, which appears to be a white Dacia Duster, was badly damaged in the crash, smashing the windshield and denting the bonnet.
Sources told local media the vehicle was traveling between 80 and 100 kilometers per hour as it left Avenida Nuestra Señora del Carmen and headed towards the packed terrace.
The mayor of the municipality of La Oliva where the accident took place said in a statement last night: “Our thoughts are with those affected by this tragic event.
“We are working closely with the relevant authorities to clarify what happened and provide support to the victims and their families at this difficult time.”
The atrocity took place when a rental car went off the road in the tourist hotspot of Corralejo, plowed through the terrace full of bar patrons and crashed into a storefront.
A crowd surrounds the scene as paramedics evacuate the injured
Two people were airlifted to Las Palmas Hospital in Gran Canaria for emergency surgery
Tourists and locals gathered at the spot where the car crashed into the bar’s terrace
More photos from the scene show the damage to a canopy and objects scattered on the floor
The city council said: ‘We are working tirelessly to obtain more information about what happened and are taking the necessary measures to prevent similar situations in the future’.
Fuerteventura is the second largest of the Spanish Canary Islands and is the closest to the African mainland.