Elche Mourns Four Members of the Same Family Killed in Murcia Pileup

Elche city council expressed their condolences to the relatives and friends of the family of four who were killed in Monday´s multi-vehicle crash in Murcia.

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Killed in the crash was 56-year-old José Vicente Maciá Segarra, who was previously a footballer for such clubs as Torrellano CF, Almoradi, Santa Pola, Thader and Ilicitano. More recently he was a coach training many local youngsters in Elche CF and Torrellano CF.

The football clubs and their members extended their condolences, taking to social media to share their dismay at the tragedy.

Also killed in the crash, in the same vehicle, were his daughter Elena Maciá Belmonte, aged 14; his sister-in-law Josefa Belmonte Márque, 48; and his niece Laura Fabra Belmonte, aged 16. The wife of José Vicente Maciá was injured but survived the incident.

The fifth person killed in the crash was a resident of Murcia.

According to witnesses, there was queuing traffic on the road when the truck approached, at speed, unable to see the standing traffic ahead, colliding with the vehicles which resulted in 13 of them, two trucks, two vans and nine cars, being involved in the collision.

In addition to the five fatalities, a further ten people were treated

The driver of the truck involved in the crash, a Spanish national, was detained by the Guardia Civil and failed a drugs test, positive for cocaine. After spending the night in the cells, a judge has released the driver, “on probation, with an obligation to appear every two weeks”, and withdrawn his licence.

The courts are investigating the incident as a crime against road safety for driving under the influence of drugs, with the likely outcome being addition charges of a crime of reckless homicide and injuries.