84-year-old man dies forgotten in care home minibus in Tomares: one arrested
The Guardia Civil arrests a worker and investigates another employee following the death of a wheelchair-using resident in Tomares, Seville.
Death of day centre user in minibus in Tomares: conductor arrested
The Guardia Civil has arrested a worker and is investigating another employee as suspected perpetrators of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of an 84-year-old man inside a minibus operated by a day centre in Tomares (Seville), according to reports from Google News ES — Crime (es) citing sources from the State security force.
The incident occurred last Friday, when the vehicle's driver—tasked with transporting centre users—picked up several people at various locations and subsequently arrived at the facilities. The users disembarked from the minibus, but the man, a wheelchair user, is believed to have remained in the rear section of the vehicle, which was equipped for such transport, without anyone noticing his presence.
After several hours with the vehicle parked, centre staff located the man inside and alerted emergency services. The paramedics dispatched to the scene confirmed his death upon arrival and the corresponding legal protocol was activated.
The Territorial Team of Judicial Police of the Guardia Civil in Mairena del Aljarafe is responsible for clarifying the circumstances of the incident. Following the gathering of evidence and the taking of statements, the force proceeded to arrest one person and investigate another as suspected responsible parties. Both are members of the centre's care staff.
The proceedings have been forwarded to the Instruction Section of the Court of First Instance of Seville.
For its part, the residence management provisionally removed both the driver and the healthcare assistant from duty as soon as it became aware of the facts. Both remain suspended from their functions whilst the investigation progresses. The centre has also opened an internal investigation to reconstruct what happened and verify compliance with the safety protocol established for transporting users, the conclusions of which will be made available to the judicial authority.
The residence has stated that it maintains full cooperation with the Guardia Civil and with the courts, and has declined to comment on possible individual responsibilities whilst the proceedings remain open.
Source: Google News ES — Crime (es)