Woman injured after slipping on an oil spill in the middle of Elche

On Friday morning, September 19th, an elderly woman was hurt after slipping on an oil spill in the centre of Corredora de Elche. Around 10:15 a.m., the incident took place on the corner near the Pomares Pharmacy, close to the roundabout.

According to sources at the street cleaning concessionaire—a joint venture founded by Urbaser and FCC—this was an unintentional spill of unknown origin. Eyewitnesses reported to authorities that the street had been cleaned with a machine that used soapy products. Officers confirmed that traces of oil remained and that the soap did not eliminate them. The woman’s slip and fall, which impacted her head hard, was obviously caused by the state of the road surface.

According to sources at the street cleaning concessionaire—a joint venture founded by Urbaser and FCC—this was an unintentional spill of unknown origin. Eyewitnesses reported to authorities that the street had been cleaned with a machine that used soapy products. Officers confirmed that traces of oil remained and that the soap did not eliminate them. The woman’s slip and fall, which impacted her head hard, was obviously caused by the state of the road surface.

Immediate Attention

National Police officers were the first to arrive, treating the victim on the street. They put ice on the injured region and phoned an ambulance. At the same time, they blocked off the affected area with a patrol car and the assistance of another police team to prevent similar events. The officers warned everyone to cross the roadway. “It’s very dangerous!” they exclaimed.

The injured woman was transported by ambulance to Elche General Hospital, where she was admitted to the Observation Area following medical treatment for a serious hit to the head.

Cleanup operation

Around 11:00 a.m., UTE workers arrived at the Corridor and poured special sand, “top-quality sepiolite,” according to the crew manager. The pavement was coated with a coating of very fine white sand, which created a dense cloud of dust in order to absorb the oil and prevent further leaks.

Dozens of slides

Neighbours in the region reported dozens of slides while the spill was active, but no falls occurred. The most serious case was that of the injured woman, who is still under medical observation.

The police investigation is ongoing to establish who is responsible for the alleged unintentional spill of motor oil on one of the city’s key pedestrian thoroughfares.

Author: Derek Appleton