The cause of the tragic accident is being investigated
What was supposed to be a fun night ended in tragedy on Saturday in the Algarve, where four teenagers died in a violent car accident in Tavira.
The victims – two German brothers and two Portuguese friends – were all aged between 15 and 18.
The accident happened on EN397 national road just outside Tavira, when the Tesla they were traveling in veered off the road after a sharp curve, struck a tree, and flipped into the shallow waters of the Séqua River. Despite the river’s low depth, the vehicle overturned, and the teens were unable to escape. Emergency responders found all four inside the car.
According to Jornal de Notícias, the electric vehicle, bearing German plates, was being driven by 18-year-old Florian. His brother Marius, 16, and their friends Francisco, also 16, and Gabin, 15, were the passengers. All of them lived in the Tavira area and, except for Florian, attended the Santiago International School. Earlier that evening, they had attended a martial arts event in town.
Authorities were alerted at 10.20pm when a driver noticed the overturned vehicle in the water. There were no skid marks on the road, raising questions about whether the driver had any chance to brake.
The victims had to be extricated as the car’s doors were locked. The vehicle was later removed from the river using a crane and taken to a secure area for investigation by the GNR’s road accident unit. The EN 397 remained closed until 1.40am.
Local resident Carlos Silva, who lives on the opposite bank of the river where the car crashed, warned that the road can be “dangerous”, particularly “in this area and to those who do not know it.”
“The curve is tight and there is no public lighting. The shoulder near the river is nearly inexistent,” the resident told JN.
The tragedy has shaken the local community. The Santiago International School says it is “absolutely devastated by the tragic loss of these four lives.”
“The next days and weeks will be incredibly hard for the families of these young people” and the entire school community, the school added.
The Tavira Basketball Club (Clube de Basquetebol de Tavira), where the youngest victim played, has also lamented the tragedy.
Autopsies are due to be conducted in Faro as investigations continue into the cause of the deadly crash. A total of 21 emergency personnel – including firefighters, INEM emergency responders, GNR police and civil protection services – and 11 vehicles responded to the scene.
