Driver who killed two people on Extremadura Avenue accepts 14 years in prison: “I apologize to the families.”

The driver who instilled terror on the Extremadura promenade in Madrid, in the Latina district, two years ago has accepted a 14-year prison sentence for running over and killing two pedestrians while fleeing from a Civil Guard checkpoint. This deadly chase covered 24 kilometers during which, in addition to the two fatalities, several others were injured. In the trunk of his car, he had four catalytic converters, a highly valuable piece of car equipment in the black market, which he had just stolen. The trial began on Monday, where he accepted the 14-year sentence for double homicide. Despite this agreement, the law requires that the hearing take place and witnesses be heard. “I ask forgiveness from the families,” the man said this Monday in the Provincial Court of Madrid.

On April 27, 2023, P. V. was driving his uninsured vehicle with a relative in the passenger seat and his partner in the back. Upon seeing the woman with a baby on her lap without any safety measures, the Civil Guard stopped the car in Leganés, to which the accused responded by accelerating. He knew he had no points left on his license and that he also had stolen goods in the trunk.

His flight encountered a minor obstacle when he lost control of the vehicle on a curve at the intersection of Primero de Mayo Avenue and the United Nations Avenue in Alcorcón. He collided with several plastic traffic separators, which caused him to slow down and turn on the emergency lights. He stopped for a few minutes before speeding away again without respecting traffic regulations.

Upon arriving in Madrid, he entered the Extremadura promenade, a city artery crowded with hundreds of pedestrians at that hour. He drove the entire length without stopping and at a high speed. He ran over at least seven people, two of whom died on the spot. The violence was such that a witness recounted in court this Monday how he saw one of the victims thrown several meters away.

When entering the Extremadura promenade, the accused maintained a speed between 76 and 90 kilometers per hour and ran several red lights, according to the prosecutor’s indictment. He only stopped at the end of the road when he collided with another vehicle and had no choice but to stop and flee on foot. Shortly after, he turned himself in at a police station when the authorities had already identified him due to his previous criminal record.

According to Europa Press, the judicial agreement was made possible because the lawyers for the two private prosecutions waived claims after the compensation had been paid to the families of the deceased victims. The defendant accepted a sentence of 14 and a half years in prison for reckless driving with conscious disregard for life, in conjunction with two homicides and three minor injury charges, along with a traffic safety offense for driving without a license due to point loss.