The arrest of a suspect in the fatal hit-and-run of Norwegian teenager Nikoline Piwoni Hoie has answered one of the biggest questions in the case.

But despite the welcome development, much of the tragedy remains unexplained.

The case, which began as a missing person investigation before ending in the discovery of Nikoline’s body on the A-7 motorway in Mijas, continues to draw attention in both Spain and Norway.

Here are the key questions investigators are still trying to answer.

Why did Nikoline leave Funky Buddha?

Nikoline, 17, had spent the evening celebrating Norway’s World Cup victory over Brazil at Marbella’s Funky Buddha nightclub, in Puerto Banus.

She sent her mother a WhatsApp message at around 1.30am saying that ‘everything was fine’, but by around 4am she had left the venue.

Investigators are still trying to establish exactly why she left, whether she intended to go somewhere else, and whether anything happened inside the club that influenced her decision.

Who were the two men she left with?

Police have confirmed that Nikoline left the nightclub with two young men before getting into an Uber with them.

One of the biggest unanswered questions is who they were.

Were they friends she already knew from Norway, people she had met earlier that evening, or complete strangers?

Investigators are working to identify and interview both men to understand what happened during Nikoline’s final hours.

Why did she get out of the Uber early?

Perhaps the greatest mystery is why Nikoline asked the Uber driver to stop near the Riviera del Sol exit of the A-7.

The location was nowhere near the family accommodation where she was staying.

Investigators have not established why she wanted to leave the vehicle there, whether she intended to meet someone, changed her plans, or simply wanted to end the journey.

What happened inside the Uber?

The Guardia Civil is attempting to reconstruct the journey minute by minute.

Investigators want to know where the group was heading, what was discussed inside the vehicle and whether anything happened that prompted Nikoline to ask to get out.

Uber has confirmed it is cooperating fully with the investigation.

Why was her phone no longer reachable?

Nikoline’s final known contact with her family was the reassuring WhatsApp message sent shortly after 1.30am.

After 3.30am, her phone could no longer be reached.

Investigators are examining mobile phone data to determine when it stopped transmitting and whether it was switched off, damaged or simply ran out of battery.

The phone’s movements could prove crucial in filling gaps in the timeline.

Why did she end up on the motorway?

Investigators believe Nikoline walked back towards the A-7 after leaving the Uber and attempted to cross the carriageway rather than using a nearby pedestrian underpass.

Exactly why she made that decision remains unknown.

Toxicology tests are expected to establish whether alcohol or drugs may have impaired her judgement, although no results have yet been released and investigators have not drawn any conclusions.

Is the Ford van definitely the vehicle that struck her?

Although the Guardia Civil has arrested a suspect and seized a Ford van, investigators have stressed that forensic work is still ongoing.

Officers are searching for biological traces and impact evidence that would conclusively prove the vehicle was involved.

Until those examinations are complete, authorities have urged caution.

What offences, if any, will the driver face?

The arrested suspect has exercised his right to remain silent.

Whether he ultimately faces charges of causing Nikoline’s death, leaving the scene of a fatal collision, failing to render assistance, or another offence will depend on the outcome of the forensic investigation and accident reconstruction.

Investigators must establish factors such as the vehicle’s speed, visibility, braking distance and whether the collision could reasonably have been avoided.

A family still waiting for answers

While the arrest marks a major development, it does not explain how a teenager celebrating her country’s World Cup victory ended up alone on one of the Costa del Sol’s busiest motorways.

For Nikoline’s family, many of the most important questions remain unanswered.

The Guardia Civil says the investigation is continuing, with witness interviews, forensic examinations and digital evidence all expected to play a key role in uncovering exactly what happened during the teenager’s final hours.

Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.