A woman of 79 years old, a resident of Artesa de Segre, died on Monday at the Arnau de Vilanova hospital in Lleida hours after being hit by a vehicle in a private car park on the street of les Escoles, in this municipality of La Noguera.
The accident occurred on Sunday when her 82-year-old husband's vehicle became unbraked. The car, electric, had just left the parking lot and the driver had gotten out to close the garage door. At that moment, with the woman located in the trunk area, the vehicle moved down the small slope of the sidewalk and ran her over.
Evacuated in critical condition to Lleida
Several emergency services, including SEM ambulances, were dispatched to the scene. The victim was treated on site and transferred in critical condition to Arnau de Vilanova hospital, where he/she died on Monday as a result of the injuries.
The Mossos d'Esquadra have opened traffic proceedings as it involves an accident with a vehicle involved and have taken charge of the investigation.
"The Mossos d'Esquadra have opened proceedings to determine the circumstances of the incident" - police spokesperson, Mossos d'Esquadra
Investigation open on what happened
The Catalan police is now trying to clarify the exact circumstances of the run-over in this private parking lot of Artesa de Segre. The investigation focuses on reconstructing the sequence of the incident occurred while the driver was maneuvering at the exit of the garage.
Recent Precedent in the Val d'Aran
In Catalonia, another case with similar characteristics was already registered in 2024 in a car park. It happened at the end of August in Arties, in the Val d'Aran, where an eleven-month-old baby died after being run over at the entrance of this village in the municipality of Naut Aran. In that case, the parents were taking a bicycle out of the car, the minor started to crawl, and another vehicle entering the car park ran her over without its driver noticing her presence.
The accident rate among vulnerable groups maintains a relevant weight in the statistics. The balance sheet of the Servei Català de Trànsit indicates that 43% of the fatalities in traffic accidents last year on interurban roads corresponded to these groups. Among them are 12 deceased pedestrians, two more than in 2024, in addition to 45 motorcyclists and five cyclists. Motorcyclists represented 31.25% of the total fatalities, with one less victim than the previous year.
The death of the neighbor from Artesa de Segre once again puts the focus on run-overs in parking and maneuvering areas, spaces where a small movement of the vehicle can have fatal consequences.