A SUSPECT in the hit-and-run death of a young Norwegian girl on the Costa del Sol has been released without charge, according to reports.
Nikoline Piwoni Hoie, 17, was fatally struck by a van as she attempted to cross the A-7 motorway in Mijas, near Marbella, at around 5.20am on July 6.
A Calahonda resident identified as Jose Miguel GC, 46, had been arrested amid reports a neighbour saw him washing his white Ford van with bleach just hours after the fatal crash, investigative outlet El Español revealed.
However, footage from Jose Miguel’s own security cameras confirmed he was at home at the time of the accident, with a Fuengirola court releasing him on Wednesday.
El Español had previously reported that Jose Miguel had a criminal record, although this was unrelated to Nikoline’s fatal accident.
The identity of the driver who struck her remains unknown, as the Guardia Civil continues to investigate why Nikoline left the Uber she was travelling in and attempted to cross the busy A-7 motorway on foot.
Investigators are exploring whether she was trying to reach the taxi rank on the opposite side of the road or make her way to a nearby pedestrian tunnel.
The 17-year-old Norwegian was last seen at the Funky Buddha pub in Puerto Banus at around 4am, before she stopped responding to messages from friends and family.
The Guardia Civil confirmed that she had booked an Uber to leave the party and was reportedly accompanied by two young men.
She had travelled from Fuengirola, where she had been staying with her mother and stepfather since June 19, to celebrate Norway’s victory over Brazil in a World Cup match.
Her relatives reported her missing on the morning of July 6, the day she was due to return to Norway.
During the night, the Guardia Civil had responded to reports of a woman being struck and killed on the A-7 after receiving several calls from the area.
However, officers were initially unable to connect the incident with Nikoline’s disappearance, as she was not carrying identification at the time and her relatives did not raise the alarm until the following morning.
There were no direct witnesses to the crash. A lorry driver was the only person to have seen part of the hit-and-run and was interviewed last week as investigators sought to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
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