Prison for the man who fled after fatally hitting a cyclist in Pollença
The Civil Guard identified the suspect after an investigation that became complicated by a license plate placed irregularly on the trailer
PalmaThe Inca court has decreed this Wednesday the provisional imprisonment of the 27-year-old man accused of fatally running over an 83-year-old cyclist on the Ma-2200 road, in Pollença, and abandoning the scene of the accident without providing assistance. The suspect appeared before the court this morning after being arrested by the Civil Guard a few hours after the incident.
The events occurred on Monday, around 7:55 AM, at kilometer 54 of the Ma-2200, in the municipality of Pollença. According to the investigation, the driver was driving a vehicle towing a fair trailer and, while overtaking the cyclist, he hit him when he was trying to rejoin his lane. As a consequence of the impact, the victim was thrown into a ditch located on the shoulder of the road.
Emergency services performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation maneuvers on the cyclist, but they could not save his life and confirmed his death at the scene of the incident.
After the hit-and-run, the driver fled without stopping or assisting the victim. Faced with this situation, the Traffic Investigation and Analysis Group (GIAT) of the Civil Guard opened an investigation to identify both the vehicle involved and its driver.
The initial inquiries focused on a license plate provided by several witnesses. However, this plate was placed on the trailer in a non-regulation manner, which initially hindered the investigation. The analysis of the evidence collected and collaboration with local police forces in the area allowed for the identification of the tractor vehicle used at the time of the accident and the location of the trailer.
With this data, the investigators located the suspect, who admitted to being the perpetrator of the fatal hit-and-run. He was arrested as the alleged perpetrator of a crime of negligent homicide and another of leaving the scene of the accident.
After appearing in court this Wednesday, the judge ordered his provisional imprisonment while the investigation continues, which the Civil Guard is keeping open to clarify all the circumstances of the accident.
For the crime of negligent homicide, the driver faces penalties of up to four years in prison, as well as the withdrawal of his driving license for a period of between one and six years. The crime of leaving the scene of the accident can also result in a sentence of between six months and four years in prison.
The Civil Guard has recalled that any person involved in a traffic accident has the obligation to stop the vehicle, remain at the scene, mark the area to avoid further risks, notify emergency services, and provide assistance to the injured persons whenever possible.