A British baby died and his parents and grandparents were injured after a driver who tested positive for alcohol and drugs plowed into a group of tourists in Lanzarote last night, authorities said.
Six people were injured in the horrific collision in the resort town of Playa Blanca, including the family of a British holidaymaker and a mother and daughter from Sweden.
All of the injured remain in the hospital, local officials said, with the father and grandmother of the five-month-old boy who died suffering the most serious injuries.
The driver of the car that mounted the curb and crashed into them is a 23-year-old British woman who lives on the island and is not currently in custody, authorities said.
Mayor Oscar Noda said the British family was walking “on the sidewalk in a correct and normal manner when they were hit by a vehicle that was completely out of control.”
“The moments that followed were very delicate and very traumatic,” he added.
Shocking images from the scene showed police and paramedics working desperately to help stricken tourists on the roadside, while a wrecked Ford Fiesta was seen with what appeared to be blood stains on the bonnet.
Shocking images from the scene showed police and paramedics desperately working on stricken pedestrians on the side of the road while a wrecked Ford Fiesta lay with what appeared to be blood stains on the bonnet.
Emergency personnel go to the scene of the accident
Bystanders cover their mouths in shock at the scene of the incident.
A five-month-old baby died and several others were injured after being hit by a car that was climbing onto the sidewalk in the tourist town of Playa Blanca, Lanzarote (pictured today).
City Hall agents reported: ‘The person who caused the accident is a 23-year-old woman of British origin who lives in Playa Blanca (in the photo)’
The Yaiza City Council has declared two days of mourning and organized a minute of silence.
Mayor Noda said this morning: ‘The accident caused seven victims, including the five-year-old baby who died.
‘The survivors came from two families, one from Sweden and the other of British origin. They are the parents of the child who died and the maternal grandparents of the baby.
‘Those in the worst condition this morning are the baby’s father and maternal grandmother. All survivors remain in the hospital.
“We hope everyone recovers.”
And he added: ‘I am going to declare two days of mourning and tomorrow at noon a minute of silence will be observed at the doors of the town hall.
City hall officials also confirmed today that two Swedes, a mother and her daughter, were injured, four Britons were injured and another died.
‘Among the injured are the child’s mother and father, as well as the baby’s two maternal grandparents.
“The baby’s father and the baby’s grandmother are the most seriously injured.”
A spokesman for Yaiza City Council said the unnamed driver had tested positive for both alcohol and drugs at the scene of the accident.
And they added: “The driver is not detained at this time. He lives on the island and we can locate him at his address if necessary.
It was not immediately clear when she will be summoned to court.
A spokesperson said in an earlier statement: ‘The investigation, which is led by the Yaiza Local Police, remains open. The Yaiza City Council extends its solidarity to the victims and their families.’
The incident occurred shortly before 6:30 p.m. local time on a curve on a main road near the Aqualava water park and the four-star HL hotel.
The unnamed driver is said to have claimed after the incident that she had experienced a problem with the steering.
Witnesses told police they thought he had gone too fast, although they did not mention alcohol and drugs as a possible factor until city officials revealed his nationality and new details of the ongoing investigation.
His whereabouts this morning were not immediately clear, but he is expected to appear in court today or tomorrow pending formal arrest.
The court hearing will take place behind closed doors, as is customary in Spain, where only trials take place in public.
An investigating judge would have to decide whether to keep her in custody or release her on bail pending an ongoing investigation.
The island authorities do not name her at the moment and have only confirmed her nationality and age, in addition to saying that she resides in Playa Blanca, where the tragedy occurred.
A well-placed source said he worked in the area.
Another said: “She tested positive for both alcohol and drugs but police have not revealed any details about the quantities.”
A police spokesman said: “We are not yet in a position to reveal information about the nationalities and ages of the victims, but what I can say is that we are not talking about a single family.”
‘It’s a very popular area for pedestrians and it wasn’t just a group of members of the same family that were hit. Different groups were involved.’
Ambulances are seen outside the hospital near Playa Blanca following the incident.
In a comprehensive update last night, a regional government-run emergency response coordination center said of the tragedy: “The incident occurred at 6:22 pm local time.
‘A five-month-old baby died and six people suffered various injuries.
‘During assistance at the scene, it was found that two women had suffered serious multiple trauma in an initial evaluation and were transferred to the Doctor José Molina Orosa Hospital in the island capital, Arrecife.
‘Two other women with several moderate-grade polytraumas were also transferred to the same hospital along with two men who had injuries to their lower extremities.
“Seven land ambulances were sent to the scene and an air ambulance was also mobilized due to the seriousness of the incident along with a doctor and a nurse from the Playa Blanca Health Center.”
“The rest of the emergency personnel included firefighters, Civil Protection workers, local police and the Civil Guard.
Playa Flamingo in the holiday village of Playa Blanca on the coast of the island of Lanzarote, Spain. stock image
The statement continues: ‘The first 999 calls we received referred to an incident in which a car had run over several people on Archipiélago Avenue on the corner of Lanzarote Street.
‘The medical ambulance plane was sent to Lanzarote airport because it was expected that one of the most seriously injured women was going to be transferred to a hospital in Gran Canaria.
“Local police will be tasked with preparing a report on the incident.”
Last September, seven people, including two British tourists, were injured when a British tourist crashed his rental car into the terrace of a Spanish cafe on the neighboring Canary island of Fuerteventura.
Among the victims was a four-month-old girl. The drama occurred in the tourist spot of Corralejo.
Last month an 83-year-old British tourist died after being hit by a bus in Lanzarote.
On February 21, she was rushed to hospital in a “critical” condition after being hit by a vehicle in the popular tourist town of Costa Teguise and was stabilized at the scene.
Playa Blanca, Spanish for Playa Blanca, is the southernmost town in Lanzarote. It is about 40 minutes drive from the island’s airport.
The coast around Playa Blanca is essentially one large bay six miles wide which then divides into three smaller, but still large, bays.