Two dead as fleeing driver crashes into car at red light in Barcelona police pursuit

Incident

A driver attempting to evade Catalan police caused a two-fatality crash in Barcelona's Poblenou neighbourhood on Sunday, 28 June. Officers from the Mossos d'Esquadra received a report before 10:00 from a hotel where a man was driving erratically in the car park. When a patrol arrived, the driver, behind the wheel of a vehicle with French licence plates, accelerated away against the flow of traffic, mounted pavements and struck parked motorcycles and other cars before police temporarily lost sight of him.

The crash

The fleeing vehicle continued along Carrer de Pallars and reached the junction with Carrer de Fluvià, close to Avinguda Diagonal. There it collided head-on with a car that was properly stopped at a red traffic light. The impact was so violent that neighbours were alerted by the noise, and a police car appeared moments later. Witnesses said the second car had no chance to avoid the oncoming vehicle.

Casualties and response

Both drivers died at the scene. Firefighters from the nearby station worked to extract the three people trapped in the wreckage. The passenger in the stationary car, a woman, was freed and taken to hospital in a serious condition. Emergency services, including ambulances and the Guardia Urbana, deployed to the intersection. By midday the two bodies were being held on the street pending judicial authorisation for transfer to the forensic institute.

Investigation

The Mossos d'Esquadra are investigating why the driver fled from the initial patrol. A post-mortem examination will determine whether alcohol or drugs were a factor. The Guardia Urbana's traffic unit is preparing the official accident report to establish the full sequence of events.

Wider toll

The fatalities bring the number of people killed in traffic accidents in Barcelona so far this year to eight. The city council issued condolences and reiterated its commitment to reducing road victims.