Speeder causes multiple crashes then flees Gran Canaria scene

The Guardia Civil is investigating a 29-year-old man. The man is alleged to have caused several accidents on the GC-1 motorway whilst driving his car. The suspected speeder is accused of carrying out dangerous manoeuvres over a stretch of around ten kilometres between Telde and Carrizal, during which he is said to have collided with several vehicles. He is then alleged to have fled the scene. Two people were seriously injured, and there was also considerable damage to property.

Meanwhile, the emergency control centre received numerous calls from other motorists reporting the man’s dangerous behaviour. The Guardia Civil subsequently dispatched a task force to locate the vehicle. However, the officers were unable to intercept the man.

The decisive turning point in the case came, after some delay, from videos that witnesses had recorded and shared on social media. Using the footage, the investigators narrowed down the crime scene to a short stretch of road and gained new insights into the vehicle.

Gran Canaria: Investigators catch speeding driver thanks to witness videos

In the days that followed, those affected filed reports regarding the accidents and the subsequent hit-and-run. Meanwhile, the officers gathered witness statements. The analysis of the videos and statements, together with the investigations carried out by the specialist traffic accident unit, ultimately led to the identification of the car and the alleged driver.

Once he had been identified, the investigators confronted the man with the allegations. The 29-year-old faces charges including dangerous driving, leaving the scene of an accident and causing bodily harm through negligence. The Guardia Civil cites Articles 381 and 382 bis of the Spanish Criminal Code.

How the offence of causing bodily harm through negligence is ultimately classified will depend on the outcome of the further investigations and the consequences of the accident. The case files have been handed over to the Telde Magistrates‘ Court.

The GC-1 is one of the most heavily monitored routes in the Canary Islands. A speed camera at kilometre 42 triggered around 11,400 times in 2024, making it one of the most profitable speed cameras in the archipelago. According to the traffic authority DGT, 14 people have died on the country roads of Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura between the start of the year and 23 August.

The case is also reminiscent of a similar incident in Tenerife. On the TF-5 last April, a man caused a serious road accident by driving recklessly and also fled the scene.