Woman killed in plunge off A-7 motorway viaduct

Another woman was also seriously injured when car landed on its roof after crash involving another vehicle

A 56-year-old woman died on Tuesday and a 21-year-old woman was seriously injured in a traffic accident on the viaduct of the A-7 motorway, near the Javalí Viejo district of Murcia, according to the emergency services (112) and the Guardia Civil Traffic Division.

Initial investigations suggest that both women were travelling in the same vehicle — the older woman driving and the younger as the front-seat passenger — when, shortly after 3pm, they were rear-ended by a van driven by a 47-year-old man, who was uninjured in the crash.

As a result of the impact, the car went over the safety barrier of the viaduct across the River Segura and fell about 20 metres onto a lower road, where it landed upside down.

Emergency medical teams from the 061 Health Emergencies Service, firefighters from Murcia's Fire and Rescue Service, and officers from both the Guardia Civil and Local Police were dispatched.

Firefighters worked to free the occupants trapped inside the vehicle. Tragically, the 56-year-old woman died at the scene, while the 21-year-old passenger was taken to Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital in El Palmar with serious injuries.

The accident caused traffic tailbacks of up to eight kilometres for nearly two hours on the A-7 motorway heading towards Murcia. This stretch is one of the main access routes into the regional capital and carries a heavy volume of traffic.

Images: 1. Bomberos; 2. Emergencias