Two British golfers were killed in Spain after a speedboat being towed by suspected drug traffickers slid off its trailer and smashed into the car behind.
Police confirmed the three occupants of a car hit near La Manga, in the south-east of the country, were all British citizens, including one who survived the high-speed crash and is now in serious condition in hospital.
The three men, aged between 47 and 54, who have not yet been named, were travelling in a Seat Leon that had its roof crushed by the 32ft boat.
Guardia Civil investigators believe the victims were on holiday and heading to play golf at the La Manga resort. They had passports and golf clubs in the back of the car, Spanish outlet El Espanol reported.
The two British passengers were believed to have been killed instantly by the impact of the boat, while the driver was pulled from the wreckage and taken to hospital.
At least a dozen people, including three who were taken to hospital, were involved in a seven-car pile-up after the trailer, boat and Seat Leon ended up scattered across two lanes of the RM12 near El Algar in Murcia.
Police believe two or more traffickers had stolen the semi-rigid, twin-engine craft and were heading for La Manga, where they said drugs were often smuggled to shore.
The vehicle carrying the boat fled the scene, with police trying to track down the occupants by identifying the speedboat. The Guardia Civil said that the boat, because of its characteristics, was very likely to be related to drug trafficking.
A witness told El Espanol that he was driving at 60mph when the speedboat hit the car in front of him. He said he managed to swerve to avoid the wreckage before several other vehicles sped past him and crashed.
Police have said several coastal areas in southern Spain, including La Manga, are hotspots for drug trafficking, with marijuana and cocaine shipped in large quantities into Europe from North Africa or from across the Atlantic.
