Intoxicated driver stopped on Paseo Marítimo: Taxi drivers prevent worse outcome

Brave taxi drivers stop a woman unfit to drive

In the night leading into Saturday, an unusual scene unfolded on the Paseo Marítimo in Palma: two taxi drivers noticed a female motorist who had hit a curb with an apparently flat tire and then drove along the promenade in a zigzag. Passersby moved out of the way, some stopped and rubbed their eyes — the mood was more puzzled than celebratory.

How the situation was calmed

The two drivers acted instead of just watching. They followed the car, flashed their high beams and repeatedly positioned themselves cautiously in front of the vehicle to slow it down. One of the taxi drivers filmed the scene with his phone — not to post it, but as evidence for the police in case something happened. Around 2:30 a.m. they managed to get the woman to stop at the side of the road.

According to initial observations the driver appeared to be heavily intoxicated and, according to the taxi drivers, additionally impaired. She barely responded to being addressed and seemed confused, almost apathetic. The men then called the emergency services because they feared the woman might continue toward the highway (Llucmajor) — a stretch where such a condition could quickly have serious consequences.

What happened afterwards

Soon afterwards police officers arrived on the scene and took over the situation. The driver was examined; authorities have so far only provided general information about any alcohol or drug tests. Witnesses at the scene said it was luck that the taxi drivers acted so attentively and decisively. Without their intervention the night could have ended differently.

The scene is a reminder that on Mallorca, holidays like Halloween often lead to riskier behaviour. Just before midnight the promenade is still full of people; by 2 a.m. many bars are emptier, but some groups are still out. Those who know the area know: the streets are narrow, the sidewalks crowded — an unfit driver does not belong there.

A small, personal impression: I was at the spot a little later; the air smelled of cold sea and frying oil from the snack bar opposite. The taxi drivers exchanged numbers, a little relieved, a little tense. Not heroics, more practical intervention. You see people doing that here: people who do not look away.

Authorities again appeal to common sense: if you drink, leave the car. And if you see someone who is obviously driving in a life-endangering condition, act — call, film, intervene if necessary — but please do so carefully. That night, in any case, doing exactly that helped prevent a larger accident.