A 22-year-old driver was killed when a palm tree collapsed onto his moving car on the CV-905 road in Torrevieja, Alicante province. Emergency services from the local fire brigade attributed the incident to the tree’s structural weakness, caused by infestation from the red palm weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus), a notorious invasive pest that has plagued palm populations across the Mediterranean.
The alert was received at 5.07pm local time on Friday, according to the fire brigade, reporting the accident opposite a commercial centre on the CV-905. Witnesses say that the vehicle was in motion when the massive palm suddenly toppled, striking the left side of the car with devastating force. Firefighters arriving at the scene estimated that the impact alone likely caused the young man’s immediate death. Authorities are also examining whether strong winds may have contributed to the fall, in addition to the insect damage.
A rescue team from Torrevieja’s local fire station was dispatched to the site. The Valencian Community’s Emergency Coordination Center (CICU) sent a basic life support unit (SVB) and a mobile advanced life support unit (SAMU), but medical personnel could only confirm the driver’s death upon arrival. No other injuries were reported.
The red palm weevil: A growing threat to Mediterranean palms
The red palm weevil, native to Southeast Asia, was first detected in Spain in the 1990s and has since spread rapidly through the country’s coastal regions, including Alicante. The beetle’s larvae bore into the heart of palm trees, particularly the iconic Canary Island date palm (Phoenix canariensis) common in urban landscaping, hollowing out the trunk and weakening it from within. Symptoms include wilting fronds, unusual holes in the trunk, and a characteristic crunching sound from feeding larvae, but damage often goes unnoticed until the tree is irreparably compromised, leading to sudden collapses like the one in Torrevieja.
According to the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO), the pest has caused the death of tens of thousands of palms in Spain alone, with economic losses in the millions for councils responsible for tree maintenance.
Eradication is difficult once an infestation is established, and preventive pruning or removal of affected trees is often required. Global trade in ornamental plants has exacerbated the weevil’s spread, making it a persistent public safety hazard in areas like Torrevieja, where palms line roads and public spaces.
If you have a palm tree yourself and notice any unusually soft areas around the trunk, it is probably worth getting the tree checked out for parasites, as the tree’s structure may have been compromised.