A man was seriously injured early Thursday morning after crashing his vehicle into the Tajo-Segura transfer canal while fleeing from police following a gas station robbery in San Miguel de Salinas.
The incident occurred around 4:00 a.m., when San Miguel’s Local Police responded to a report of a robbery at a gas station near the new SUS-A Invernaderos urbanisation. The suspect had stolen a cigarette vending machine and fled the scene in a car.
A police patrol gave chase along the Campoamor highway, but the vehicle suddenly veered off onto a prohibited service road that runs alongside the water transfer canal. On the first sharp bend, the driver lost control, and the car plunged into the canal, which was carrying a strong current at the time.
The vehicle became completely submerged. Local officers managed to pull the injured driver from the water, and he was transported to Torrevieja University Hospital in serious condition. A stolen vending machine was recovered near the crash site.
The Civil Guard and local firefighters were called in to check for any additional occupants. Firefighters arrived around 4:50 a.m. and, with the help of a municipal paddler, were able to access and examine the submerged car. One firefighter entered the water to confirm the vehicle was empty. The car had sustained major front-end damage, a flat tire, and had its lights still illuminated.
Although the canal’s service road is officially closed to traffic, many drivers and cyclists use it as an unofficial route between San Miguel and Orihuela Costa. Authorities have been criticized for not enforcing access restrictions. The canal, which supplies water to several towns in the region, has steep concrete walls and a powerful flow, making escape nearly impossible in the event of a fall.
The Civil Guard is continuing its investigation to determine whether others were involved in the crime or the crash.
