British driver escapes death in fatal crash on IC1

Two men in their 80s have died and two were injured following an accident on Saturday night on the IC1, near Santana da Serra, Ourique.

The collision occurred at about 8:50pm when a vehicle, carrying the friends from near Santana da Serra, entered the IC1 from the EN393.

The vehicle was rammed violently by a jeep driven by a British citizen who was traveling on the IC1.

According to Mario Batista, commander of the Volunteer Fire Brigade of Ourique, “it was a collision between a passenger and a goods vehicle,” not revealing the causes of the accident or any more details, pending a GNR inquiry.

The occupants had been at a picnic near the IC1. In the collision, João Ferro and José Silva, both 86, died immediately, and the third occupant, aged 56, suffered serious injuries and remains in Beja hospital.

The occupant of the vehicle travelling on the IC1, 65, residing in Boliqueime, Loulé, also was injured and was taken to the same hospital but was discharged on Sunday morning.

At the scene of the accident, there were 27 operational volunteer firefighters from Ourique and Castro Verde, and GNR members, supported by 11 vehicles.

The Algarve’s INEM helicopter took off but was prevented from landing at the accident scene due to safety concerns.

This was the second fatal accident on Saturday in the Ourique area, after a 25-year-old boy died and a 17-year-old was seriously injured in a accident on the IC1 near to Aldeia de Palheiros, about 5 kilometers from Ourique.