A driver who caused havoc on the TF1 motorway over a week ago with his dangerous driving, which the authorities say could have ended in tragedy, faces the prospects of a lengthy jail term.
Driving a white BMW, the man tailgated several motorway users and weaved at high speed between the traffic on both lanes, forcing others to take evasive action. One car overturned after being hit from behind, rolling several times before coming to a stop upside down, and its occupants had to be freed by firefighters. One of the passengers was admitted to hospital in a serious condition, while the others sustained minor injuries.
Witnesses, many of whom recorded on their phones the havoc caused by the BMW driver and uploaded the footage onto social media, say the BMW also overturned after clipping a blue car on a bend. The driver eventually stopped, abandoned the vehicle and made off on foot from the scene after collecting some items from inside the car.
The collisions brought major disruption to evening rush-hour traffic on the notoriously busy stretch of the motorway near Tacoronte, beyond Tenerife Noth airport. Tenerife’s Civil Guard Traffic Branch identified the driver soon after and say the man faces multiple charges, including causing collisions through dangerous driving and leaving the scene of an accident after a collision, which could attract a jail term of up to four years. The sentence could be even higher if he is found to have been driving under the influence of drink or drugs.
