A man who was responsible for the death of a 10-year-old Irish boy in a hit-and-run incident in Adeje in March 2018 has agreed to a two-year prison sentence for reckless homicide and failure to provide assistance.
The insurer of the vehicle involved in the accident has compensated the father, his partner, the mother, and the sister of the deceased child with 96,000 euros.
Initially, a jury trial was anticipated, but an agreement was reached between the accused, the insurance company, private claimants, and the Prosecutor’s Office, leading to the dropping of the charge of reckless driving.
The verdict includes a one-year prison term for severe recklessness leading to homicide, a two-year driving ban, and an additional year for failure to provide assistance.
In terms of compensation, the family of the minor reached an agreement with the car insurer, receiving 43,096 euros for the father, nearly 13,000 euros for the sister, 5,000 euros for the father’s partner, and about 35,500 euros for the child’s mother.
This amount is half of what they were entitled to, considering the contributory negligence of the victims, who in this case crossed the street recklessly.
The accident, which garnered significant media coverage, occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m. on March 29, 2018. The convicted driver, a native of Latvia, was observed changing lanes erratically and driving above the speed limit without reason.
The defendant showed “utter disregard for the lives and safety of other drivers or failed to exercise the necessary caution and care by driving in a negligent manner,” according to the court’s ruling.
The fatal incident occurred when the Irish child was struck while illegally crossing the road with his family on a downhill stretch where pedestrian crossing was not permitted.
Sustaining a severe head injury, the child succumbed to his wounds a day later at La Candelaria hospital.
Although the driver initially appeared to stop, he failed to conduct any checks and promptly fled the scene without offering aid, even though he was aware of having hit four people, resulting in serious injury that necessitated immediate medical attention.
Moreover, he did not ensure the presence of other bystanders who could assist the victims or contact emergency services.
The injured parties did not seek any financial compensation during the legal proceedings, having already been compensated by the insurance company. This, alongside the driver’s admission of guilt, obviated the need for a trial once an agreement had been reached.
The convicted driver had been in custody pending trial, with this period now being deducted from the imposed sentence.
Initially suspected to be of British nationality, two individuals from the UK were detained. However, thanks to public cooperation and footage from security cameras, the vehicle and its occupants were later identified.
Once the situation was clarified and the driver, who resided in San Isidro, was identified, the family expressed gratitude to law enforcement, medical personnel, and neighbours through the Consulate.
“On Thursday, March 29, our world shattered, right at the start of what should have been a perfect family holiday,” began the letter, which concluded with: “We are deeply moved and thankful.”
