A woman of about 90 years died last August after being run over by a powered scooter in the moving two young men in a street of Esplugues de Llobregat (Barcelona). This is the first death known in Spain of a pedestrian as a result of the use of one of these devices.
The scooter driving about 30 km per hour, the maximum speed of this type of vehicles, have clarified the same sources. The young man who was driving the apparatus, circulated by the central zone of the rambla del Carme, which is pedestrian. At the height of the number 37 of the street, struck with the body of the elderly woman, who walked with the aid of a walker. The woman was admitted in very serious condition at the hospital Moisès Broggi, where he died within a few days as a result of the wounds. According to various sources, before the loss the woman was in a good state of health, and the neighbors joked with his constant walks around the neighborhood.
The incident occurred mid-day of the last month of August, when many of the shops in the rambla del Carme —a wide avenue with a central space for pedestrians and lanes for road traffic in the side— are closed. The episode, however, had not transpired until now, when the judicial proceedings opened by the fatal accident begins to give its fruits. A few days ago, in addition, Pilar Diaz, mayor of Esplugues de Llobregat —municipality of 45,000 inhabitants bordering Barcelona— addressed the issue in the board of Kingbetting local security.
A court of Esplugues opened investigations to clarify what happened. According to sources close to the case, at least one of the young —who was driving the scooter— you have the condition investigated for a crime of homicide-reckless, punishable with sentences of one to four years of prison. Since it is a powered scooter, say the same sources, can not be applied none of the offences against road safety, since they refer only to “motor vehicles”.
Conflict and regulation
The proliferation, in the big cities, vehicles, alternative mobility has alerted the authorities, who have already shown their intention to regulate the matter. Before the conflict between pedestrians and users, the minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, has already announced in October its intention to reform the road code. Users of scooters, he said, are “vulnerable”, but also “may cause significant damage to a third party, depending on how they circulate”. Until now, the municipalities have promoted regulations that, in some cases, they prohibit the circulation of the scooters on the sidewalks. The Directorate General of Traffic (DGT) intends, however, to devise common guidelines.
on The 23rd of October, a woman of 40 years also died in Sabadell (Barcelona) for the use of one of these vehicles. In that case, however, the woman was using the powered scooter when it fell to the road and was hit by a truck. The woman was transported with life, but in very serious condition, the hospital Parc Taulí of Sabadell. He died two weeks later.
In the trampling down of women in Esplugues, the scooter was circulated to the inherent speed of these devices, around 30 kilometres per hour, according to the same sources. The handling of these vehicles to increase their speed also troubled by the prosecutor’s office. Two weeks ago, a taxi driver, he recorded two young men ran over a scooter at a speed close to 80 miles per hour. The Urban Guard opened an investigation to clarify what happened. The taxi driver posted the video on Twitter calling for the mayor, Ada Colau, that regulates its use: “Legislate that this has gotten out of hand”.
