A road accident on the A-67 near Palencia claimed the lives of Iván Sanz Cid, director general of Dehesa de los Canónigos, and his wife, Irene Garijo. Two of their three children also died. The family was returning to Valladolid from Cantabria on Sunday when their vehicle veered off the highway at kilometer 83 and overturned several times. Their 9-year-old daughter was the sole survivor. She was airlifted to a hospital in Burgos, where she underwent surgery. Her condition is reported as stable but serious.
Authorities responded to the crash at 16:20. Initial inquiries by the Government Subdelegation pointed to driver drowsiness as a possible cause. The incident occurred almost exactly one month after a similar fatal accident at kilometer 82 of the same highway, where another driver lost control and died. The two crashes have drawn renewed scrutiny to the A-67, a major route connecting northern Spain, and prompted fresh calls for improved road safety measures in the area.
Iván Sanz Cid was a prominent figure in the Spanish wine industry, widely respected for leading Dehesa de los Canónigos and promoting Ribera del Duero wines. Tributes have poured in from across the sector, with colleagues describing him as generous and hardworking, and deeply devoted to his family and business. His death has been described as a profound shock to his relatives and the entire region. Originally from Pesquera de Duero, Sanz was known for his close ties to the local community and his efforts to raise the profile of his family’s winery alongside his sister Belén and their parents.
The tragedy has also touched public institutions. Irene Garijo worked for the Diputación de Valladolid in the Sociedad Avanza. Local and regional officials, including Minister of Transport Óscar Puente and President of the Junta de Castilla y León Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, expressed condolences on social media. Conrado Íscar, president of the Diputación de Valladolid, spoke of the deep sense of loss among colleagues and friends and the lasting impact on those who knew the family.
The accident echoes concerns raised by other serious road incidents in Spain, including the bus collision in Lleida that left dozens injured and prompted a swift emergency response. For more on how such incidents affect communities and authorities, see this report on the aftermath of the Lleida bus crash.
The wake for the four victims will be held in Valladolid, where the family lived. The community continues to support the surviving daughter as she recovers. Questions remain about the safety of the A-67 and what measures could prevent further tragedies on Spanish roads. The repeated accidents at nearly the same location have renewed calls for authorities to assess risk factors and consider additional steps to protect travelers on this basic transport corridor.
Spain’s highways, particularly those connecting major regions, have seen a series of high-profile accidents in recent years. The A-67, known as the Autovía de la Meseta, is a critical link between Cantabria and central Spain, carrying impressive passenger and freight traffic. Overall road safety in Spain has improved over the past decade, but isolated stretches with recurring incidents point to ongoing challenges. The loss of a leading figure like Iván Sanz Cid has renewed attention to the human cost of such tragedies and the need for continued vigilance on the nation’s roads.
