CRASH TRAGEDY Brit baby dead & parents injured as UK family mowed down by ‘drunk & drugged up’ driver in horror Lanzarote crash
The woman told officials she 'experienced a problem with her steering'\
A BRITISH baby has died after a "drunk and drugged up" driver ploughed into a group of pedestrians in Lanzarote, officials have said.
The parents and grandparents of the five-month-old and a mum and daughter from Sweden were also injured after a vehicle mounted the pavement in the popular resort of Playa Blanca.
The tot's dad and grandmother are the most seriously injured, officials say.
A British woman is under investigation for drink and drug driving following the crash at around 6.30pm local time on Monday.
A spokesman for Yaiza Town Hall said: “Two people from Sweden, a mother and daughter, were hurt.
“Four people from the UK were injured along with the baby that died.
“The mother and father of the youngster are among the injured as well as the baby’s two maternal grandparents.
“The father of the baby and the baby’s grandmother are the most seriously injured.”
The sex of the tot has not yet been revealed.
Yaiza's mayor Oscar Noda has confirmed that all four Brits injured in the accident yesterday are still in hospital today.
The town hall has declared two days of mourning and organised a minute’s silence.
Mr Noda said: “The accident caused seven victims, including the five-year-old baby that died.
“The survivors came from two families, one from Sweden and the other of British origin.
“They are the parents of the child that died and the baby’s maternal grandparents.
“The ones in the worst condition this morning are the baby’s father and maternal grandmother. All the survivors are still in hospital.
“We hope they all recover.”
Mr Noda added that two days of mourning will be declared, and that a minute's silence will be held at the town hall's doors tomorrow at midday.
He said: “The British family were walking along the pavement in a correct and normal way when they were mown down by a vehicle that was totally out of control.
“The moments that followed were very delicate and very traumatic.”
Officials in Yaiza Town Hall said the driver is a 23-year-old woman who lives on the Spanish island.
They said: “The victims of the accident with multiple casualties are a baby that has died and six people who suffered injuries of varying degrees.
“The person who caused the accident is a 23-year-old woman of British origin who lives in Playa Blanca.
“She is under investigation because at the scene she showed signs of being under the influence of alcohol and drugs.
“The investigation, which is being led by Yaiza local police, remains open. Yaiza Town Hall extends its solidarity to the victims and their families.”
The horror crash took place on a bend in a main road near the Aqualava water park and four-star HL hotel.
It is understood that the driver of the car told police she had suffered a steering problem.
Witnesses told police they thought she had been going too fast, but there was no mention of drink and drugs in their accounts.
A spokesman for the Town Hall confirmed the woman had tested positive for both drink and drugs at the scene.
He added: “The driver is not being held in custody at the moment. She lives on the island and can be located at her address if necessary."
Her whereabouts were not immediately clear this morning but she is expected to appear in court today or tomorrow after a formal arrest.
The court hearing would take place behind closed doors as is normal in Spain where only trials take place in public.
An investigating magistrate would have to decide whether to remand her in custody or release her on bail pending an ongoing probe.
Island authorities are not naming her as of yet, having only confirmed her nationality, age, and that she lives in Playa Blanca.
One well-placed source said she worked in the area.
Another said: “She tested positive for both alcohol and drugs but the police haven’t released any details about amounts.”
A police spokesman previously said: “We’re still not in a position to release information about the nationalities and ages of the victims but what I can say is that we’re not talking about one family.
“It’s an area which is popular with pedestrians and it wasn’t just one group of members of the same family that were hit. Different groups were involved."
A regional government-run emergency response coordination centre said: “The incident occurred at 6.22pm local time.
“A baby aged five months died and six people suffered diverse injuries.
“During assistance at the scene two women were found to have suffered serious multiple injuries... and were transferred to Doctor Jose Molina Orosa Hospital in the island capital Arrecife.
“Two other women with several moderate-level multiple injuries were also taken to the same hospital along with two men who had injuries to their lower limbs.
“Seven land ambulances were sent to the scene and an air ambulance was also mobilised because of the seriousness of the incident along with a doctor and nurse from Playa Blanca Health Centre.
“The other emergency responders included firefighters, Civil Protection workers, local police and the Civil Guard."
Yaiza Town Hall, which is responsible for Playa Blanca, said: “Yaiza Town Hall expresses its solidarity with the victims and their families after a number of people were run over this evening in Playa Blanca.
“Our total respect for the ongoing investigation by the authorities and our gratitude to the security forces and emergency responders involving in dealing with this tragic incident.”
Playa Blanca, White Beach in Spanish, is the most southerly town in Lanzarote, roughly a 40-minute drive from the island airport.
The coastline around Playa Blanca is essentially one large six mile wide bay which is then broken up into three smaller, but still large, bays.
Only last month, an 83-year-old British tourist died after being run over by a bus in Lanzarote.
She had been rushed to hospital in a “critical” condition on February 21 after being hit by the vehicle in the popular resort of Costa Teguise and stabilised at the scene.
And last September, two Brits were among seven injured when a British holidaymaker ploughed into a packed Spanish cafe in his hire car on the neighbouring Canary island of Fuerteventura.
The drama occurred when the car careered off the road and smashed into the outside eatery in the tourist hotspot of Corralejo.
The casualties included a four-month-old baby girl.
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