Young man charged over fatal hit-and-run in Funchal

An 18-year-old man has been charged on suspicion of fatally running over a man in Funchal and then fleeing, public security police said on Monday, adding that the suspect did not have a driving licence.

The accident happened on Saturday at around 19:15 on St Helier Street in the west of Funchal, and the suspect was identified by PSP officers on Sunday in the same city.

A statement from PSP explained that the collision involved a man and a passenger car, the driver of which fled after the accident.

The incident was reported by DN Madeira as well as other regional media, which reported that the victim, a man in his 40s, was taken to Dr. Nelio Mendonça Hospital with serious injuries and died on Sunday morning.

“After collecting materials and witness statements at the scene of the incident, the road accident investigation team began efforts to establish the identity of the vehicle that fled and its driver,” the department explains.

According to the PSP, the car was found on Sunday at around 1:47 p.m., parked in the Pjorne area, relatively close to the scene of the incident, and “matched the description of witnesses and had biological traces consistent with the incident.”

“From the registration number of the vehicle, the Funchal traffic police located its previous owner, who immediately pointed to the current driver, identified as a male citizen, 18 years old, who admitted his involvement and subsequent escape from the accident due to the fact that he did not have a legal driving license,” the statement said.

According to the PSP, the young man was found guilty in a criminal case, and all the materials and evidence collected were sent to the prosecutor’s office of the Judicial Court of the District of Funchal.