Lorraine Williamson
Spanish investigators are trying to piece together the final movements of Nikoline, the 17-year-old Norwegian teenager who was last seen in Puerto Banús and later died after being struck on the A-7 in Mijas.
The Guardia Civil is trying to identify and locate the driver of the lorry that struck the teenager, according to Spanish reports citing investigation sources. Cadena SER reports that the driver did not stop after the collision, which happened at around 5.25 am on Monday at kilometre 1027 of the A-7, in the direction of Marbella. Several witnesses called 112 after seeing that a woman had been hit, and medical teams confirmed her death at the scene.
Last known phone signal near Puerto Banús
One of the key questions remains what happened between Puerto Banús and the A-7 at Riviera del Sol.
Telecinco reported on Monday, before Nikoline had been identified as the victim of the A-7 collision, that she had disappeared from a Puerto Banús nightclub after a friend went to the toilet and returned to find she was no longer there. The same report said the last known location of her phone was on Avenida Julio Iglesias, just a few metres from the nightclub, before it stopped receiving a signal.
That phone detail does not, on its own, explain what happened. A phone can stop transmitting for several reasons, including battery loss, being switched off, loss of coverage, damage or another unknown cause. At this stage, there is no publicly available information confirming why Nikoline’s phone stopped receiving a signal.
Travel from Marbella to Mijas
A new detail now being reported is that Nikoline travelled by VTC from Marbella to Mijas after leaving the nightclub area. In Spain, a VTC (Vehículo de Transporte con Conductor) is a private hire vehicle service similar to Uber, Bolt or Cabify, where a driver is booked through an app rather than hailed on the street. Canal Sur, citing investigation sources, says she took a VTC from Marbella to Mijas and that investigators are still trying to understand why she went there, why she was on the motorway, and what happened before the fatal collision. The same report says investigators are reviewing security cameras in the area and taking statements from witnesses and friends.
That is the strongest confirmed development so far, but it still leaves important gaps. It does not confirm where she intended to go, whether she reached a destination, why she ended up on the A-7, or what happened between the VTC journey and the collision.
Collision at Riviera del Sol
The fatal collision happened on the A-7 as it passes through Mijas Costa. Local reporting from Mijas Comunicación places the incident at Riviera del Sol, at kilometre 1027, in the direction of Marbella. The report says the incident happened shortly after 5.20 am, witnesses alerted 112, and the 061 health emergency service, Guardia Civil traffic officers and road maintenance teams were sent to the scene. The right lane of the motorway was closed for several hours.
The distance between Puerto Banús and Riviera del Sol is significant, which is why the timeline is now central to the investigation. It is not a short walk, and it is not a simple continuation of the nightclub area. Investigators now need to establish how Nikoline moved from one location to the other and why she was on that section of the motorway.
It has also been reported that Nikoline was on holiday on the Costa del Sol and was due to return to Norway that Monday. However, investigators have not publicly confirmed how her accommodation, travel plans or intended destination fit into the timeline.
What is not confirmed
There is still no confirmed public evidence that Nikoline was abducted, pushed from a vehicle, thrown onto the road, deliberately abandoned, or attacked before the collision.
Those theories are circulating online, but they remain speculation. The confirmed facts are that she was last seen in Puerto Banús, her phone stopped giving a signal near the nightclub area, she is reported to have travelled by VTC from Marbella to Mijas, and she was later struck on the A-7 at Riviera del Sol.
The Guardia Civil investigation remains open. Antena 3 reports that investigators are focused on identifying and locating the driver involved, reconstructing the circumstances of the accident, and determining responsibility.
Appeal for information
Anyone who was in Puerto Banús, Marbella, Calahonda, Riviera del Sol or on the A-7 in the early hours of Monday may have information that matters, even if it seems small.
Dashcam footage, taxi or VTC information, CCTV, phone records, witness statements and traffic-camera checks may all help investigators build the missing part of the timeline.
For now, the most responsible approach is to avoid rumours and allow the investigation to continue. Anyone with relevant information should contact the Guardia Civil or Policía Nacional. In an emergency, call 112.