THE final hours of Norwegian teenager Nikoline have been plunged into mystery after the 17-year-old vanished from a Marbella nightclub before being killed on a motorway just hours later.
Nikoline was last seen at around 4am on Monday morning at Funky Buddha in Puerto Banus, where she had been celebrating Norway’s World Cup victory with other young supporters on the Costa del Sol.
Less than two hours later, a young woman was struck and killed on the A-7 motorway near Mijas, around 30 kilometres from the nightclub.
The victim, initially unidentified, was later confirmed to be Nikoline.
Her death has triggered a manhunt for the driver who allegedly fled the scene after the suspected hit-and-run.
But investigators are also trying to piece together the unanswered questions surrounding the teenager’s final moments.
Why did Nikoline leave the nightclub? Was she alone? How did she travel from Marbella to Mijas? And why was she walking across a busy four-lane motorway at 5.20am?
According to a report by El Mundo, investigators have not ruled out any possibility – including the theory that Nikoline may have been rushing across the A-7 in a desperate attempt to escape an attacker.
As police rack their brains to piece together the mystery, here is a reconstructed timeline of Nikoline’s final hours.
10pm
The teenager had spent Sunday evening watching Norway’s World Cup Round of 16 clash against Brazil.
The match kicked off at 10pm and ended with a dramatic 2-1 victory for Norway.
The win sparked celebrations among Norwegian fans along the Costa del Sol, with groups of young supporters heading out to enjoy the historic result after Norway’s progression in the tournament.
Nikoline and other young Norwegians are believed to have travelled to Puerto Banus in Marbella before making their way to Funky Buddha, a popular nightclub in the resort’s nightlife district.
1.30am
Her family said their last contact with her came at around 1.30am. At that point, they said, everything appeared normal.
But as the hours passed without hearing from her, relatives became increasingly alarmed. They described the silence as highly unusual, saying Nikoline was close to her mother and regularly kept in touch even while out with friends.
According to her family’s account, Nikoline was inside Funky Buddha with another girl and several young Norwegians they had met during the night.
4am
At around 4am, her friend reportedly lost sight of her after going to the toilet.
Soon afterwards, Nikoline’s phone stopped responding.
5.20am
At approximately 5.20am, emergency services were called after a female pedestrian was struck by a vehicle on the A-7 motorway near Mijas Costa, at kilometre 1027 in the Marbella direction.
Witnesses reported seeing the woman lying on the road. Several motorists reportedly stopped in an attempt to help, but the vehicle involved allegedly continued driving away.
The Andalucian 112 emergency service dispatched Guardia Civil traffic officers and 061 medical teams to the scene.
Despite their efforts, paramedics could only confirm the woman had died.
The victim was not carrying identification, leaving authorities initially unable to confirm who she was.
Meanwhile, unaware of the tragedy unfolding on the motorway, Nikoline’s family launched an urgent appeal to find her.
They said the teenager had disappeared during a night out and was due to fly home to Norway later that day.
Relatives appealed for anyone who had seen Nikoline, or who had spent time with her during the night, to come forward with information.
Monday afternoon
Police later confirmed that the unidentified pedestrian killed on the A-7 was Nikoline. Her lack of identification had delayed the process of confirming her identity.
The Guardia Civil is continuing to investigate the suspected hit-and-run and is working to identify the driver who fled. The vehicle involved is believed to have been a lorry, truck or pick-up.
Investigators are now focused on two mysteries: who was behind the wheel of the vehicle that struck Nikoline, and what happened in the final minutes between her leaving the nightclub and reaching the motorway.
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