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ARCHIVED - British woman, 58, dies after her electric scooter plunges off Benidorm cliff
The horrific accident on an Alicante hillside was witnessed by the British gran’s family
A 58-year-old British woman has died after the electric scooter she was riding careened off a steep hillside in Benidorm on Wednesday afternoon, August 24. According to initial reports, the grandmother was riding along the cliff face with her family when she lost control of the rented scooter and teetered off the edge.
Rescue workers rushed to the scene in the Paraje de la Cruz de Benidorm, located in the Natural Park of Sierra Gelada, and a two-hour rescue operation ensued. Tragically though, when the emergency services reached the British woman she wasn’t breathing and was pronounced dead a short time later.
An 8-year-old boy, believed to be the victim’s grandson, suffered minor injuries while trying to reach the victim, and reports indicate that other family members were also present at the time of the accident.
The 'barranco' where the accident took place is very steep and littered with large boulders.
Police have now opened an investigation into the terrible accident and are carrying out inspections on the motorised scooter to ensure that it complied with Spanish safety regulations.
Accidents involving personal mobility vehicles are sadly becoming commonplace across Spain and in the last couple of years Benidorm has upped the ante, banning all kinds of mobility scooters, electric scooters and Segways from its footpaths.
The local government has also implemented a 20kph speed limit on these vehicles, with flouters facing fines of more than 500 euros.
According to Spanish law, scooter users should also have insurance and wear a helmet at all times, rules that are not strictly enforced and even less often followed in most tourist hotspots.
>>> Find all the latest motoring and travel news here or join our Driving in Spain Facebook group for regular updates <<<
Image: Consorcio Bomberos
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