The accident reopens the debate about the safety of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago
Two Portuguese pilgrims, one of them a minor, were seriously injured this Friday after being run over in the center of Santiago de Compostela, a few meters from the end of the Camino de Santiago. The event occurred around 9:10 a.m. on Rosalía de Castro street, next to the Santa Susana church, an area heavily traveled by both residents and pilgrims.
According to the first information, the driver of a car, an elderly man, lost control of the vehicle, invaded the sidewalk and ran over the two Portuguese walkers. After the impact, the car also hit a traffic light and ended up crashing into the facade of a building.
The victims were taken to the Clinical Hospital
The emergency services quickly went to the scene of the accident and took the two pilgrims to the University Clinical Hospital of Santiago de Compostela. Both remain in serious condition, according to information released by Galician and Portuguese media.
The driver also had to receive medical assistance after suffering an anxiety crisis after the accident.
They are investigating whether the driver fainted
The Local Police of Santiago de Compostela has opened an investigation to clarify the causes of the incident. The first hypotheses suggest that the driver could have fainted or become suddenly unwell behind the wheel, which would have caused the loss of control of the vehicle.
The accident has caused a great commotion in both Galicia and Portugal, especially since it occurred in a city that receives hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world every year.
Concern among the pilgrim community
The event once again puts the focus on the safety of pilgrims in the urban accesses to Santiago de Compostela. Although most of the Jacobean routes run along marked paths and protected areas, the last kilometers usually coincide with urban areas where road traffic shares space with walkers.
Associations linked to the Camino recall the importance of taking extreme caution in urban sections and demand measures that guarantee greater protection for pilgrims in the areas with the greatest influx.
While the investigations continue, the Jacobean community remains attentive to the evolution of the two Portuguese pilgrims, whose dream of reaching Santiago was cut short by an accident that has shocked the world of the Camino.
