Spanish man on pilgrimage to give thanks for recovery from car crash is run over and killed a mile into journey



A year earlier, he had been injured in a road accident and made a full recovery.



So the man decided to make a pilgrimage to a shrine to give thanks for his survival – only to be knocked down and killed by a car less than a mile into his trek.



The 40-year-old Spanish man died instantly after being hit by the vehicle just 20 minutes into his journey.

Pilgrim's home: Location of Ordes in Spain

Two women walking with him were also killed in the accident.



The pilgrim left his home in the town of Ordes, in north-west Spain, on Saturday morning.



He planned to walk the 20 miles to Caion so that he could give thanks at the shrine of the Virgin Mary.

Pilgrimage: An icon of the Virgin Mary at an Orthodox Church in Kottayam, India

A spokesman for Ordes town hall told French news agency AFP: 'He had been injured in a road accident a year earlier and wanted to give thanks to the Virgin Mary for making a full recovery.



'But he was tragically hit by a car barely a mile into his journey and died instantly.



'Two women walking with him, believed to be his aunts, were also killed.'



It is thought the three victims were making the journey as part of a group of six pilgrims.

