Tragic accident: Holidaymaker hit by van while sunbathing

Playa del Inglés - A 64-year-old German woman was sunbathing on a popular tourist beach on Gran Canaria. A short time later she died in appalling circumstances.

The 64-year-old vacationer had come to the popular Playa del Inglés beach on Monday to soak up the sun. (symbolic image)
The 64-year-old vacationer had come to the popular Playa del Inglés beach on Monday to soak up the sun. (symbolic image)  © Jeremy Ng/AAP/dpa

The holidaymaker was sunbathing on Playa del Inglés last Monday while her husband went for a swim.

But the sunbathing took a tragic turn: a van ran over the woman in the middle of the beach, reported the local tourist magazine Canary Islands Market.

The driver of the pickup truck was on his way to deliver to kiosks on the beach. He apparently did not notice that he had run over the German woman.

Deliveries at this time of day are actually strictly prohibited. It is still unclear why the man was on the road at this exact time.

Visitors to the beach immediately alerted the emergency services, but when they arrived, all help came too late - the woman could only be pronounced dead.

The police have launched an investigation to establish the exact circumstances of the accident . The driver is said to have regularly delivered to the kiosks for over ten years and knew the area well.

This shocking incident has caused consternation among holidaymakers and locals alike.