This Saturday marks a month since the devastating traffic incident on the North Highway of Tenerife (TF-5), when an irresponsible driver collided with two vehicles, resulting in five injuries, one of which was severe.
The footage, recorded by a Tenerife resident currently in England who was holidaying on the island, went viral and sparked a significant media reaction, alongside intense criticism aimed at the driver for endangering those who were travelling along the TF-5 that Holy Thursday.
Hold the driver accountable
A month later, the Civil Guard Traffic Team of Tenerife is continuing its work to compile the investigation and submit it to the Judicial Authorities for the commencement of proceedings to sanction the actions of this young driver from Tenerife.
Sources from the agency confirmed this Thursday that the traffic team is finalising an investigation which has proven to be complicated in order to present it to the judiciary. These authoritative sources indicate that the report will not be submitted until the inquiries are fully concluded.
The security force is reviewing the cameras along the North Highway, analysing images captured by witnesses, along with the testimonies collected, and assessments made of the driver to ascertain precisely the impact of the young man’s reckless driving while operating a high-end BMW.
Aftermath
The incident occurred on Thursday, April 17, near exit 19, heading north on the TF-5, in the vicinity of Tacoronte. According to 112 Canary Islands, firefighters from the Tenerife Consortium had to rescue three individuals trapped inside one of the vehicles involved in the collision.
The BMW involved in the accident on April 17 on the North Highway of Tenerife. / Ed
The Canarian Emergency Department treated five people with minor injuries and one with serious injuries. The latter needed to be stabilised and was transported to the Canary Islands University Hospital with various traumas.
Driving at high speed
The BMW M2 model was driven at high speed on the North Highway, weaving in a zigzag manner as if the public road were a racetrack. The officers from the Civil Guard traffic division are investigating the causation of the collision for the alleged offences against road safety, including reckless driving and fleeing the scene.
The testimonies are crucial not only to initiate the legal proceedings regarding the responsibilities of this young individual but also to determine how far the driver travelled recklessly and how many lives were potentially jeopardised.
“I was driving like a lunatic; he swerved towards us and overtook us on the right.” Sara, a Tenerife resident living in England, was returning with her husband and two young children on Holy Thursday for a day out in the south of the island when they encountered the reckless driver on the North Highway (TF-5). She was the one who recorded the footage of the accident, which is vital for clarifying the events.
The video evidence
“We saw him coming in a zigzag and when he had already passed us on the right, I grabbed my mobile and started recording to report him,” Sara recalled in comments published by The Day. “To be honest, I didn’t realise I had captured the accident; everything happened so quickly, and we were extremely anxious due to the driver’s antics. A few moments later it struck me that the footage captured the moment when the BMW collided with two other vehicles ahead.”
