A 22-year-old driver has died after a palm tree collapsed onto his car as he drove along the CV-905 in Torrevieja on Friday.
The incident occurred at around 5.10pm on the stretch of road between the Carrefour roundabout and La Hoya, close to the ITV (MOT) station.
The victim, a Spanish national and resident of Torrevieja, was driving towards the city when the palm suddenly toppled over the central reservation and struck the front of his vehicle.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, including firefighters from the Torrevieja station, Guardia Civil officers, Local Police and a SAMU advanced life-support ambulance.
Despite their efforts, the young man could not be saved.
Rescue teams were forced to close both outbound lanes from Torrevieja on what is the main access road to the city, which carries more than 30,000 vehicles a day.
The fallen palm remained across the carriageway until around 7pm, causing significant tailbacks, while medical teams prioritised treating the driver.
Officials reported that the tree landed directly on the driver’s side of the car, which continued to drag the trunk several metres before coming to a halt near the central reservation.
Authorities confirmed that the palm was affected by red palm weevil – an invasive beetle known for severely weakening trees from within.
In this case, the infestation was concentrated in the trunk, an area that can be extremely difficult for gardening teams to detect from the outside.
Moderate winds recorded throughout the day may have contributed to the collapse, according to sources close to Torrevieja’s Security Department and the Provincial Fire Consortium.
Although the CV-905 is under regional authority, maintenance of the central reservation’s landscaping up to the municipal boundary is carried out by Torrevieja Town Hall.
