A well-known Ribera del Duero winery owner, his wife, and two children died in a car accident on the A-67. Only the youngest daughter survived. The incident has deeply affected the local community and renewed focus on road safety.
A devastating road accident on the A-67 near Palencia has left the Ribera del Duero region in shock after the deaths of Iván Sanz Cid, director of Dehesa de los Canónigos winery, his wife Irene Garijo, and two of their children. The family was returning to Valladolid from Cantabria on Sunday when their Ford Bronco veered off the highway at kilometer 83, overturning several times. Only the youngest daughter, aged 9, survived and was airlifted to Burgos hospital, where she remains in serious but stable condition following surgery.
Authorities responded to the crash at 16:20, with initial investigations suggesting driver drowsiness as a possible cause. The incident occurred almost exactly one month after a similar fatal accident at kilometer 82 of the same road, highlighting ongoing safety concerns along this stretch of the A-67. The government subdelegation has noted the repeated nature of such accidents in the area, prompting renewed calls for preventive measures.
Iván Sanz Cid was widely respected in the wine industry, known for his leadership at Dehesa de los Canónigos and his close ties to the community of Pesquera de Duero. Tributes from colleagues and friends describe him as generous, humble, and deeply committed to promoting his family’s winery. The loss has resonated beyond the wine sector, with condolences pouring in from regional leaders, including the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, and the President of the Junta de Castilla y León, Alfonso Fernández Mañueco. The president of the Valladolid Provincial Council, Conrado Íscar, also expressed his support, noting that Irene Garijo worked for the council’s Avanza Society.
The family’s impact on the region was significant, with many recalling Sanz’s efforts to establish Dehesa de los Canónigos as a benchmark in Ribera del Duero, often working alongside his sister Belén and with the support of his parents. The local wine community, including figures from Bodegas Moro and Fernández Rivera, emphasized the personal and professional loss felt across Valladolid and beyond. The wake for the four victims is scheduled to take place in Valladolid, where the family resided.
This tragedy comes amid broader concerns about road safety in Spain, particularly on rural highways where single-vehicle accidents remain a persistent risk. The A-67, connecting Cantabria and the Meseta, has seen multiple serious incidents in recent years. In a related context, the issue of transport safety was also highlighted after a major bus crash in Lleida, which left dozens injured and drew significant regional attention—details of which can be found in this report on the Lleida bus accident.
Spain’s authorities continue to investigate the circumstances of the latest crash, with a focus on both infrastructure and driver awareness. The deaths of Iván Sanz Cid and his family have underscored the profound personal and community impact of such tragedies, as well as the ongoing need for vigilance and improvement in road safety measures across the country.
