The duty judge in Manacor has released the 21-year-old who hit and killed a Swedish tourist in Cala Mesquida and fled the scene. His driving licence and passport have been revoked, and he must appear every 15 days.
The driver who ran over a 55-year-old Swedish tourist on the road to Cala Mesquida in Capdepera last Sunday and fled the scene has been granted provisional release. The duty judge in Manacor ordered his release on Tuesday but imposed precautionary measures: revocation of his driving licence and passport, and the obligation to appear every 15 days in court.
The fatal accident in Cala Mesquida
The incident occurred around half past seven in the morning on Sunday. The young man, a Spanish national aged 21, was driving a black Volkswagen Polo TDI at high speed on the road to Cala Mesquida, according to initial hypotheses. At that moment, he struck the tourist, who was running in the area, and fled the scene without offering assistance. The victim, a 55-year-old Swedish citizen staying with his wife at a local hotel, died instantly.
Officers from the Capdepera Local Police were the first to arrive at the scene after receiving the alert. They found the involved car with a shattered windscreen and bloodstains. Nearby, they located the victim's arm and right leg, indicating the violence of the impact. Subsequently, members of the Civil Guard and firefighters from the Artà station found the body hidden in the underbrush, in a wooded area that was difficult to access, which required them to clear shrubs with chainsaws.
The driver returned to the scene and tested positive for alcohol
The young man, represented by lawyer Daniel Castro, stated before the judge that he had been partying the night before and had fallen asleep at the wheel at the time of the accident. According to his account, he headed to the hotel where he works and then returned to the accident site with a friend to try to locate the man he had hit. However, he did not find him.
When the Civil Guard subjected him to breathalyser tests, the driver registered a level of 0.60 mg/l, well above the legal limit. Despite the seriousness of the events, the judge considered that there were no risks of flight or destruction of evidence that would justify provisional imprisonment, although she revoked his passport to prevent him from leaving the country.
Reactions and consequences for local tourism
The incident has shocked the community of Capdepera, a tourist municipality in the Llevant region of Mallorca. The victim was on holiday with his wife at a hotel in Cala Mesquida, a popular area for bathers and sports enthusiasts. Locals and tourists have expressed their dismay at the violence of the incident and the judicial decision to release the driver.
This tragic accident once again highlights the issue of driving under the influence of alcohol on the island's roads, especially in tourist areas where pedestrian traffic is high. Road safety organizations have called for more controls and deterrent measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring.
The case remains under investigation, and the driver must appear before the court every fifteen days. The judge has also revoked his driving licence, so he will not be able to drive during the proceedings. It is expected that in the coming days, the Prosecutor's Office will file charges for involuntary manslaughter, leaving the scene of the accident, and driving under the influence of alcohol.
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