Walter Finch
THE 80-year-old woman hit and killed by an E-scooter in Estepona last week was a German grandmother who had returned to the Costa del Sol to visit family for the first time in 14 years
Tragedy struck for Ingrid, from Frankfurt, when after enjoying a week of holiday she headed to the beach with her son on Friday September 8.
While crossing the road at a pedestrian crossing, a person on an electric scooter collided with her, sending Ingrid tumbling to the ground where she hit her head on the tarmac.
She remained conscious at first, according to family members, but with a grievous and painful wound to her head
An ambulance rushed her to Carlos Haya Hospital in Malaga with severe head injuries. but doctors had to deliver the devastating news to the family that she had slipped into a coma and there was nothing else they could do.
“She used to come on vacation to my house. To me, she was like a sister,” sister-in-law Ana Ponte told Area Costa del Sol.
Ponte explained that Ingrid was sprightly and active, far from a fragile or immobile octogenarian, and would regularly walk the streets of Estepona unaided, sometimes trekking 10 kilometres in a day.
“She used to walk for miles and miles. She was in great shape,” Ponte said.
The death of Ingrid marks the second fatal accident involving electric scooters in Estepona, where it is a popular mode of transport.
The family have now called for stronger control and regulation of electric scooters
The PSOE (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party) and IU (United Left), have also demanded that the City Council regulate these types of vehicles, which often pose a danger to both drivers and pedestrians.
As it stands, Electric scooters are only permitted on the road and on bike lanes in Spain.
They are not allowed on pedestrian places, and the maximum speed to circulate is 25 km/h. Nonetheless, rules are frequently flouted or not enforced.
Anyone caught riding e-scooters instead of walking them in pedestrianised areas can face fines between €1,500 and €3,000, although it is unknown how often they are dished out.
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