Bolivian 'Highway of Death' claims another tourist
Friday, 25 Apr 2008 14:00
A fatal road accident on Bolivia's most notorious road has killed nine more people yesterday, including 22-year-old British cyclist Tom Austin.
Described by Lonely Planet as the world's most dangerous highway, this high-altitude mountain road crosses a 15,400-foot pass in the Andes and drops 11,800 ft in just 40 miles.
Mr Austin and two other British cyclists were involved in a collision with a Toyota Land Cruiser near the pass on the road between La Paz and Coroico, the British Embassy has confirmed.
The vehicle rolled 300ft down an embankment and eight of the 12 passengers were killed, according to local radio station reports.
It appears the young British cyclists were with La Paz tour operator Downhill Madness, one of a number of companies that take groups of tourists on this cycling challenge.
Mercedes Solis, a lawyer for the parent company of Downhill Madness, told the Times that the cyclists were riding on the shoulder rather than crowding into the vehicle's lane as suggested by local police.
The other British cyclists were injured in the accident and have been named as Daniel Roberts, 23, and James Marshall, 22.
Another tourist, Californian Kenneth Mitchell, 56, died on the road earlier this week after falling from his bicycle and over a cliff, the Times reports.