Car crashes through fans ahead of Barcelona derby game

A LaLiga game between Espanyol and Barcelona was overshadowed by a shocking incident just ahead of kick-off. Footage shows a car being attacked by Espanyol supporters, before plowing through the fans.

According to local authorities 13 people were injured in the incident. The driver has since been arrested. The Mossos d’Esquadra (Barcelona’s local police) have opened an investigation to clarify what happened and are still gathering all the information. However they maintain that it was an accident and that the driver had no intention of causing the accident.

According to reports the driver of a white Peugeot 208, aged between 45 and 55 years old, lost control of the car approaching the crowds of soccer fans. The driver accidentally hit a girl in the crowd, prompting several people to shout, hit and throw things at the car.

The working theory is now that the woman driving the vehicle, overcome with nerves, accelerated unintentionally and surged through the packed street. Videos of the incident flooded social media, revealing the swift police intervention.

“Attention: We inform you that the incident that occurred outside the stadium is under control and there were no serious injuries,” Espanyol, the home team, announced over the PA system.

Following the announcement play was briefly stopped and Soto Grado, the referee, met with representatives from both teams and a member of the police. He then decided to resume play and the match continued as normal. However some of the Espanyol supporters left the stadium, believing the match should be abandoned.

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