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Date Published: 01/03/2023

ARCHIVED - Electric scooter user in Spain on trial for reckless homicide

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If convicted, he’ll become the first person in Spain to face prison for a scooter offence

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - Electric scooter user in Spain on trial for reckless homicide

A court in Zaragoza has just wrapped up the trial of a 29-year-old man who stands accused of reckless homicide for running over an elderly man at a zebra crossing on his electric scooter. If found guilty of the charge, DAE as he is known, will become the first person in Spain to go to prison over a personal mobility vehicle (VMP) offence.

The tragic accident took place on September 2 last year in the Aragonese capital, where 79-year-old PEH was hit by the scooter while crossing the road. He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of the Clinical Hospital but sadly died four days later from his severe injuries.

All that’s left now is for the Criminal Court to decide on a sentence, but prosecutors and the victim’s family have already voiced their opinions on what the punishment should be. The Prosecutor’s Office has asked the judge to sentence the young man to two years in prison and to order him to pay compensation of 32,810 euros, plus hospital costs. But PEH’s relatives have called for a much harsher sanction: four years behind bars and a ban from driving for six. They’ve also asked for 38,834 euros in restitution.

Electric scooters in Spain still don’t require insurance but in this landmark case, lawyers have asked the Insurance Compensation Consortium (CCS) to sit on the bench. Essentially, they’ll be required to cover the costs if the defendant can’t afford to, just as they would in the case of a car accident.

In Zaragoza, it’s estimated that there are now slightly more electric scooter riders than there are bicycle users, and this has also triggered the accident rate. According to the Local Police, in 2021 VMPs were involved in 178 accidents resulting in 164 injuries, 20 of them classed as serious.

Find all the latest motoring and travel news here or join our Driving in Spain Facebook group for regular updates

Image: Freepik

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