Dad killed after 20-stone boulder falls through car windscreen on mountain road
A dad-of-two was killed by a falling boulder as he drove along a mountain road with his partner and child.
The 48-year-old died instantly when the rock – believed to weigh around 20 stone – came loose and crashed through the car’s windscreen in Spain, hitting his head.
His partner and child were uninjured, but were taken to hospital after suffering panic attacks.
The Spanish family had been driving along a road close to a village called Trescares in Asturias, in the north of the country, just before 2pm on Saturday.
It is thought they were on holiday in the area.
A spokesperson for a regional government-run emergency response coordination centre said: ‘A man has died after a rock fell on top of the car he was driving on the AS-114 road near Trescares.
‘The alert was received at 1.56pm on Saturday.
‘Firefighters were mobilised along with an air ambulance which wasn’t needed in the end.
‘Emergency health responders confirmed the victim was dead on arrival at the scene.
‘The two people accompanying him, a woman and a minor, were taken to hospital as a precaution.
‘Firefighters recovered the trapped body of the driver after cutting through the car roof and removing the rock.’
Civil Guard officers are investigating.
The man’s funeral is due to take place this afternoon in his home town of Tomelloso, a two-hour drive south of Madrid.
In January a man narrowly escaped being crushed by a falling boulder in Malibu in the US when a phone call from his girlfriend saved him.
Mauricio Henao had been sat in his parked Honda outside his home along the Pacific Coast Highway, moments before the huge rock – around 4ft long – hit his car.
His partner had called to ask him to grab a bag she’d left at his, so he jumped out and ran inside before hearing a rumbling sound, then a crash.
He came out to see the car completely destroyed, with the roof caved in from the force of the boulder.
Speaking afterwards he said: ‘I’m pretty shook up. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll park here again after this. I’m a little traumatised by this whole ordeal.’
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