Critical Injuries After Head-On Collision on Tenerife’s TF-1 Highway Sparks Safety Debate
A critical head-on collision on Tenerife’s TF-1 highway has reignited calls for improved road safety barriers after bystanders heroically rescued a driver from a burning vehicle.
A head-on collision on Tenerife’s South Highway (TF-1) this Monday has once again highlighted the dangers of road sections that lack physical barriers between lanes. The crash, which occurred at kilometer 93 near Guía de Isora, required a major emergency response and has reignited calls for safety improvements on the island’s road network.
The accident happened around 12:15 p.m. and involved three people. A man and a woman were in one car, while a young man was driving the other. The impact was so severe that the young man’s vehicle caught fire. Bystanders acted quickly, pulling him from the car before the flames spread to the cabin—a heroic effort that likely saved his life. He was later airlifted to the hospital in critical condition by a medical helicopter.
Emergency services, including five ambulances, the Tenerife Fire Consortium, the Civil Guard, local police, and road maintenance crews, were all deployed to the scene.
The incident forced the closure of the highway in both directions, with traffic diverted to the TF-82 road through Los Menores, Guía de Isora, and Chío while crews cleared the wreckage. The crash has prompted fresh debate over the urgent need for central barriers on these stretches of road, which safety experts argue are essential to preventing such high-risk head-on collisions.