The Provincial Court of Madrid has sentenced the driver who killed two elderly people on the Paseo de Extremadura in April 2023 while fleeing from the Guardia Civil to 14.5 years in prison. The verdict is the result of a trial in which the defendant admitted his guilt and apologized to the victims’ families. This tragic event, which dominated the news in Spain, once again demonstrates the devastating consequences of reckless driving.
A Fatal Pursuit Through Madrid
The defendant admitted in court on Monday that he was driving too fast and fled the scene after running two red lights, which led to the deaths of two seniors. “I apologize to the families for the pain I have caused. I am very sorry,” said the defendant, who had reached an agreement with the public prosecutor’s office to fully admit the facts.
During the hearing, mobility agents from the Madrid Municipal Police, the National Police, and the Civil Traffic Guard, who had pursued the defendant on April 27, 2023, testified. They confirmed that the driver had severely endangered the lives of pedestrians, motorists, and even the baby his partner was carrying.
The pursuit began when Guardia Civil officers stopped a vehicle because a woman was holding an eight-month-old child without child restraint systems. Instead of stopping, the driver accelerated sharply and drove onto the M-50 with a “quite aggressive driving style.” A guard reported: “We saw that there would be a very serious accident and notified our colleagues.”
Witness Testimonies Describe the Horror
A taxi driver who witnessed one of the collisions described the shocking scenes: he saw a person being thrown through the air after the severe impact and the driver continuing at high speed. “I saw three people on the ground, one of the ladies, who was very old, raised her arm like that and said something to me. A police officer told me that her husband had saved her because he pushed her,” the witness said.
The prosecution stated that during his escape from the Guardia Civil on the M-406, the defendant “seriously endangered the lives and physical integrity of the vehicle’s occupants as well as other drivers by circulating aggressively and dangerously.” He ran a red light at the intersection of the M-406 with the M-409, drove onto the M-50, and then onto the A5, where he “reached speeds of approximately 180 kilometers per hour” and forced other drivers to brake sharply through reckless zigzag maneuvers.
The Fatal Impact in the Urban Area
At kilometer 3 of the A5 motorway, the defendant took the exit to Paseo de Extremadura and entered the urban area of Madrid at about 90 km/h, although the speed limit was 50 km/h. He ran a red light and collided with several pedestrians. F. de A. M., a 73-year-old man, died on the spot, and three other people were injured.
Despite the shattered windshield, the defendant continued for about 660 meters at about 76 km/h. At another traffic light at house number 63, which was also red, he ran over A. A. M., 80 years old, who was correctly crossing the pedestrian crossing with his wife. He also died at the scene of the accident. His wife was able to save herself at the last second because she was walking a few meters ahead of her husband. The defendant continued his escape until he finally collided with a parked car at Saavedra Fajardo Street number 16 and tried to flee on foot to avoid arrest.
A Serious Verdict with Compensation
The driver accepted the verdict in Monday’s trial, partly because the lawyers for the two private prosecutions withdrew after compensation was paid to the families of the deceased victims. The court sentenced the man for reckless driving causing death in competition with two homicides and three minor crimes of bodily injury. In addition, there is an offense against road safety because he was driving without a valid license. However, the hearing will continue on Tuesday with the testimony of further witnesses.
