Lorraine Williamson
A man detained in connection with the death of 17-year-old Norwegian tourist Nikoline Piwoni Høie has been released without precautionary measures, as investigators continue trying to identify the vehicle that struck her on the A-7 in Mijas.
The Fuengirola court on duty ordered the driver’s release on Wednesday, 15 July. According to sources from the High Court of Justice of Andalucía, no restrictions were imposed, and the man is not currently under formal investigation for any criminal offence.
The case remains open and has been transferred to Fuengirola’s investigating court number four. Guardia Civil officers are continuing to examine several possible lines of inquiry rather than treating the detained man as the confirmed driver.
Van remains central to technical investigation
The man, reported to be a Spanish national in his 40s, was detained after officers located a Ford van believed to have damage potentially compatible with a collision. The vehicle was seized for a detailed forensic examination.
Guardia Civil confirmed to Norwegian newspaper VG that officers had inspected the van, but stressed that other possibilities were still being investigated. Police are attempting to establish whether the vehicle was involved and who was driving when Nikoline was struck.
Málaga Hoy reported that investigators are also examining whether the van had been cleaned with bleach. That claim comes from sources close to the inquiry and has not been formally confirmed by the Guardia Civil.
The newspaper said the vehicle was located after officers received information from a member of the public. Investigators have also been studying security-camera footage and searching for vehicles displaying damage consistent with an impact.
The man’s release does not mean the vehicle has been ruled out. Forensic examination of the van and any recovered traces will be crucial in determining whether it can be connected to the collision.
Nikoline left shared journey near the A-7
Nikoline had spent the evening of Sunday, 5 July, with friends in Puerto Banús, where they watched Norway defeat Brazil in the football World Cup. She later requested private transport to return to the accommodation where she was staying with her father and stepmother.
Investigators believe she travelled towards Mijas in a car shared with two other young people. She reportedly got out close to a bus stop beside the A-7, opposite the residential development where she was staying.
Why she left the vehicle before completing the journey remains one of the central unanswered questions. Officers are examining whether anything happened during the trip that could explain why she ended up beside or on the motorway.
Fatal collision near Mijas
Emergency services received calls at approximately 5.20 am on Monday, 6 July, reporting that a woman had been struck near kilometre 1,027 of the A-7 in the direction of Marbella.
Medical personnel could only confirm her death at the scene. Nikoline was not carrying identification, but her identity was established after her family reported her missing later that morning.
Early witness accounts suggested a lorry may have been involved. Investigators subsequently focused on other types of vehicles after examining fragments and evidence recovered from the road. A witness driving a lorry is now reported to have seen a van leaving the area after the collision.
Investigation remains open
The latest court decision represents an important change from Tuesday’s announcement of an arrest. The detained man has not been charged, and investigators have not publicly identified him as the person responsible for Nikoline’s death.
Guardia Civil officers must now determine whether the seized van can be forensically linked to the scene while continuing to reconstruct Nikoline’s final journey. The identity of the driver who struck her and left without stopping remains unconfirmed.