A Driver Arrested in Bizkaia After Hitting a Pilgrim, Hitting the Run and Trying to Set His Car on Fire
ERANDIO, BIZKAIA – The Ertzaintza has arrested a 49-year-old man in Erandio accused of multiple crimes, including injuries due to recklessness, reckless driving, damage and leaving the scene of the incident, after seriously running over a pilgrim on a bicycle and, later, trying to burn his vehicle to erase evidence.
The incident occurred last Wednesday, at 10:55 p.m., on Ribera de Axpe Avenue in Astrabudua. A car, while overtaking a cyclist, brutally ran over him. After the impact, the driver got out of the car for a brief moment, but quickly got back in and fled the scene at high speed. Several eyewitnesses, who immediately alerted the Ertzaintza, managed to provide a detailed description of the vehicle and the driver, which was crucial for the investigation.
The cycle tourist, a foreign citizen who walked the Camino de Santiago, was rushed to Cruces Hospital, where he was admitted in serious condition due to the injuries suffered.
The driver's escape did not end there. In a desperate attempt to evade justice, the individual went to an outdoor parking lot on the EHU campus in Leioa, where he tried to set the vehicle on fire. However, rapid police action allowed him to be located and arrested near the home of some relatives. The detainee will be brought to judicial custody once the pertinent proceedings are completed.
