Local man airlifted after Mercedes plunges 20m down mountainside near Aixirivall
A 63-year-old resident was helilifted to hospital after his car broke through a guardrail and fell about 20 metres at a sharp bend; he has since.
Key Points
- 63-year-old local drove alone; vehicle broke through guardrail and fell ~20 metres.
- Mountain rescue team and helicopter extracted him; discharged after several days under observation for chest injuries.
- No visible skid marks at the scene; cause remains undetermined.
- Sant Julià council awaiting investigation results to assess road or barrier changes; same spot had a fatal crash last year.
The driver of a Mercedes who on Saturday night plunged down a mountainside at a bend on the secondary road to Aixirivall has been discharged from hospital, hospital sources said, although he has not yet fully recovered after several days under observation for chest injuries sustained in the crash.
The 63-year-old, a local resident, was driving alone towards his home — a chalet located a few metres from the bend — when the vehicle went straight, broke through the protective guardrail and fell about twenty metres. Firefighters deployed their mountain rescue team and a helicopter, which assisted with helilifting to extract the injured man and transfer him to hospital.
Despite the spectacular nature of the crash, the personal injuries were relatively limited. There were apparently no visible marks left on the asphalt at the scene. The causes of the accident have not yet been determined; the same spot saw another incident a year earlier, in which the driver later died, although that case appears to have had a different nature.
The parish council of Sant Julià is also awaiting the results of investigations to decide whether any changes are needed to the roadway or additional reinforcement to the barrier protecting the precipice behind the bend. The curve is pronounced but, in principle, properly signposted, and the injured man was familiar with the area, having passed there frequently as a resident.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: