A 48-year-old man crashed into two parked vehicles on Arquebisbe Aspàreg street in Palma and fled the scene. Minutes later, he returned and confessed to the local police that he "blanked out".
The incident occurred after two in the afternoon on Sunday on the central street of Arquebisbe Aspàreg in Palma. According to the local police, a car violently impacted two cars that were parked on the right side of the road. The collision was so strong that one of the vehicles was displaced several metres and ended up embedded against the facade of a building.
After the accident, the responsible driver quickly abandoned the scene without leaving his details. A patrol from the Unitat de Vehicles d'Accidents (Uvac) was dispatched to the location after receiving alerts from several neighbours. The officers checked the significant material damage to the two parked cars and began to collect debris from the causing vehicle to identify it.
The driver returns and confesses
While the police were still conducting their investigations, a man approached them on foot. He identified himself as a 48-year-old Spaniard and, without beating around the bush, admitted to being responsible for the accident. The driver explained that, after the impact, he “blanked out” and reacted by fleeing the scene, but upon reflection, he decided to return and take responsibility.
The man accompanied the patrol to a nearby street where he had parked his car after fleeing. The officers confirmed that the vehicle showed damage consistent with the accident. They then conducted a breath test, which returned a negative result, thus ruling out alcohol consumption as a cause of the accident.
The driver stated that he was heading towards plaza Miquel Dolç when he lost control of the car, veered to the right, and hit the two parked cars. It has not been disclosed whether the man has been reported for leaving the scene of the accident, an offence classified under article 382 of the Penal Code that can carry prison sentences of six months to two years and the withdrawal of his driving licence.
Panic at the wheel, a more common reaction than it seems
The driver's excuse of “blanking out” is not an isolated case. According to data from the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), many people who experience an accident undergo an acute stress reaction that leads them to act impulsively, such as fleeing the scene. However, experts remind that abandoning an accident is always a bad decision and worsens the legal consequences.
In this case, the driver's return and voluntary confession could be considered a mitigating factor. The local residents, who saw the wrecked cars against the facade, expressed relief upon learning that the responsible party had been identified and that it was not an act of intentional vandalism.
The local police of Palma have opened a report for damages and have submitted it to the judicial authorities. The owners of the two damaged vehicles will need to file the corresponding complaint to claim damages from the insurance of the responsible driver, who has already been identified.
Meanwhile, the 48-year-old driver could face a fine of up to 6,000 euros and the loss of points on his licence for leaving the scene of the accident, although his confession and the absence of injuries could mitigate the penalty. The street Arquebisbe Aspàreg has returned to normal, although residents now look twice before parking on that side of the street.
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