A vacation in Spain took a violent turn after a taxi driver was arrested for allegedly attacking an Irish tourist over something as minor as a burp.
Police in the beachside resort of Fuengirola on the Costa del Sol say the confrontation erupted when a 65-year-old tourist burped inside the cab. The 51-year-old driver reportedly ordered the man out of the vehicle — and things quickly escalated from there.
Authorities say the driver allegedly punched the tourist in the street after he and a friend exited the taxi near a hotel along the seafront promenade. The blow reportedly knocked the man to the ground, where he hit his head on the curb.
The victim suffered serious head and facial injuries and was rushed to a local health center in Las Lagunas before being transferred to a hospital in Marbella. It remains unclear whether he is still hospitalized. Local reports indicate he may have been under the influence of alcohol at the time.
Witnesses are believed to have alerted emergency services. Officers from Spain’s National Police rapid response unit arrived on the scene along with paramedics and arrested the driver on suspicion of causing bodily harm.
The cab driver, who has not been publicly identified, later appeared before an investigating judge and is believed to have been released on bail as the criminal investigation continues.
The incident is the latest in a string of troubling altercations involving taxi drivers in the popular tourist hotspot. Just last November, another Fuengirola driver was arrested after allegedly dragging a tourist down the road during a dispute over a fare. In that case, the visitor reportedly clung to the car door as the driver sped off, eventually losing his grip and suffering head injuries when he hit the pavement.
I wonder why is the driver not identified