Spanish judge asked to reopen investigation into hit and run that killed mum, 50, in Tenerife tragedy

Michelle Exton, from Dronfield, Derbyshire, was on holiday when she and her mum, Ann, were hit by a white van which mounted the pavement.

The 50-year-old suffered catastrophic head injuries and was taken to hospital, but died four days later. Ann, 75, suffered serious rib injuries in the crash on December 11 near the resort of Golf del Sur.

Spanish Police launched a hunt for the driver, who briefly got out of the vehicle and saw the couple on the ground, before driving off. However three weeks later, a judge “stayed” the investigation, meaning the case was closed and police were effectively barred from investigating further.

Lawyers Irwin Mitchell, acting on behalf of Michelle’s daughters Sophia, 23, and Jess, 14, have now filed court documents in Spain asking that a judge reopen the case. Sophia described her mum as “a ray of sunshine, a role model, she always had a smile on her face and her door was always open”.

She said: “The last couple of months have been such a mix of emotions. Hurt, pain, grief, anger. The decision to close the investigation has just added to the stress of everything.

“We’d do anything to have Mum back in our lives but we know that’s not possible. Our focus now is on at least trying to honour her memory by getting the justice for Mum that she deserves.”

The family are appealing for witnesses, including British tourists on holiday at the time, to come forward with information.

The driver is white, around 5ft 8ins, with a bald or closely shaven head. The passenger side wing mirror of the van – thought to be a a Renault Traffic, a Nissan Primastar or a Vauxhall Vivaro - fell off in the collision and was left behind at the scene.