Jesús GR, the driver responsible for a coach crash on the A-7 motorway near Benalmadena on April 19th that killed nine tourists from Finland and left 42 others injured, was travelling at 155km an hour, according to the conclusions of the Guardia Civil's Accident Reconstruction team.

The driver, who was transferred to jail following his eventual release from hospital, tested over the limit for alcohol and initially claimed to have been going no faster than 130km an hour.

The coach transporting the party of tourists to Málaga airport at the end of their holiday, was calculated to have been travelling at 99.9km an hour at the moment of impact.

Benalmadena crash driver 'wishes he had died'
By: thinkSPAIN
Friday, April 25, 2008

According to Jacinto, the father of 27 year old Jesús GR, the drunk driver responsible for an accident near Benalmádena last weekend in which nine Finnish tourists died and dozens of others were injured, his son "wishes he had died in the smash."

Jesús was returning to Málaga last Saturday evening after a day out with his girlfriend, who lives in Fuengirola. At around 7.30pm, on a left bend on the AP-7, Jesús, who had been drinking, lost control of his Kia Sportage 4x4 all-terrain vehicle, which struck the protective barrier between the two three-lane carriageways before careering into the back of a coach packed with Finnish tourists on their way to Málaga airport.

The coach overturned and became impaled on the roadside crash barrier, which was responsible for most of the fatalaties.

Jesús, who suffered a sprained and fractured spine, was arrested, but is not currently under custody at the Clinical Hospital in Málaga, where he expected to remain for the next ten days at least.

The coach driver, José Jiménez (53) is said by his family to be "very sad" about what happened. He suffered a serious head injury, five broken ribs, and spinal damage. "He's never had an accident during his 21 years as a driver," explained one of José's relatives.

Twelve Finnish tourists remain hospitalised in Málaga following the accident including one woman whose condition is described as critical.
 
Nine tourists killed in coach smash
By: thinkSPAIN
Sunday, April 20, 2008

Of the nine Finnish tourists killed in a traffic accident near Benalmadena yesterday evening, six are women, two are men and one is a seven year old girl.

Thirty-five other Finnish tourists were injured, nineteen seriously, making this the most serious accident involving a passenger-carrying vehicle in Spain since November 2001, when twenty pensioners died in Villarrasa (Huelva).

The accident occurred at 7.30pm on the A-7 Benalmadena bypass as the Finnish tourists were being taken from their hotels in Marbella to Málaga airport.

It seems that the accident was caused when the driver of a 4x4 all-terrain vehicle, who tested over the limit for alcohol, attempted an illegal overtaking manoeuvre.

High winds and torrential rain are believed to have been contributory factors.

Emergency Services have opened a multilingual help-line - in Spanish, English, French and German - for concerned relatives or friends - 955 041 961.