Mourners bid farewell to Girona cyclist killed in hit-and-run
Friends and family call for drunk driver, who has since been released, to be charged in death
Around a thousand people gathered in the northern Catalan city of Girona on Sunday to bid farewell to Tina, a 35-year-old cyclist who was killed in a hit-and-run two weeks ago on the Carretera dels Àngels route.
The driver, who was drunk at the time of the crash and fled the scene, was later arrested but released the following day.
"According to a judge, killing someone while drunk and leaving them on the side of the road means the next day they can still be free," said Marc, a friend of the victim. "He was home before we could even say bye to her."
Family and friends of Tina, many of whom are cyclists themselves, call for the driver to be charged with homicide as well as for heightened safety on roads.
The investigation into whether the driver committed homicide due to serious negligence, failed to provide assistance, and drove under the influence of alcohol is ongoing. If convicted, the 24-year-old from the town of Vilablareix could possibly spend up to 8 years behind bars.
Members of cycling associations, such as the Federació Catalana de Ciclisme, Plataforma en defensa de la bicicleta or Mou-te en bici, as were Girona city councilors and mayor Marta Madrenas.
Last year there were 17,779 car crashes and 159 accident-related deaths in Catalonia, fewer than usual due to the strict Covid-19 lockdown months: in 2019, for example, there were almost 10,000 more accidents and a hundred more deaths.