A 20-year-old man without a license and with thirty police records for various crimes caused a wave of fear in Oviedo yesterday while driving a Seat Toledo. Dodging Local Police, at the Cerdeño roundabout he turned into the “Y” in the opposite direction and after two kilometers of weaving through traffic he collided head-on with a car at the exit of Ronda Sur. The kamikaze driver and the other motorist were injured and had to be taken to the hospital. Four other passenger cars also sustained damage.
The incident began around six in the evening. Several residents of La Corredoria phoned local police to say that a young man was weaving and speeding through the neighborhood. Two camouflage-equipped vehicles rushed to the area and, upon arrival, confirmed the reports. They attempted to stop him, but the driver ignored this and the chase began, ending in disaster. Eyewitnesses reported that the young man accelerated, drove through several forbidden directions inside La Corredoria to shake off the pursuing officers, and even struck sidewalks, hopped over the terrace of a bar, and nearly ran over numerous shoppers and pedestrians. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among those in La Corredoria at that moment.
After leaving the neighborhood, the chase moved onto the highway, pursued by police cars. Officers radioed for reinforcements and closed the entrances and exits of the “Y.” The inevitable outcome followed. After the crash, the young man was transported to HUCA hospital with facial and chest injuries and remained under police custody at the scene after the episode. The other driver’s injuries were not disclosed late yesterday, but were not considered serious. Detentions stretched for miles in the wake of the incident, according to local accounts.