63‑year‑old charged after 20–40m plunge at Aixirivall

The 63‑year‑old driver involved in a serious crash at Aixirivall has been released by the court but faces charges of driving under the influence and reckless driving, judicial authorities said. The Batllia has kept a judicial inquiry open and the driver’s licence has been provisionally withdrawn while investigators continue to probe the circumstances.

Police arrested the man on Thursday afternoon after he was discharged from Meritxell Hospital. Post‑crash tests recorded a blood‑alcohol concentration of 1.74 g/L. Authorities say the arrest followed the investigatory steps taken after the collision on the night of 6 December.

The vehicle left the road at a bend on the CS131 near Aixirivall and plunged down a ravine; reports place the fall at roughly 20–40 metres. Emergency services described the recovery as difficult: mountain rescue teams from the fire service, medical personnel, police and a helicopter all took part in locating, immobilising and evacuating the driver. He was conscious throughout and was taken to Meritxell Hospital, where he was kept under observation for chest injuries for several days; his life was not believed to be in danger.

Police say the post‑crash investigation found signs consistent with reckless driving. Investigators are examining factors such as the absence of skid marks and whether any manoeuvre was attempted to avoid the fall. The Batllia indicated it preferred a full judicial inquiry rather than a rapid penal ordinance in light of the circumstances.

Separately, police reported stopping and arresting three other drivers on suspicion of drink‑driving between Wednesday evening and early Thursday morning. The men, aged 30, 36 and 50, tested positive with readings of 1.59, 2.00 and 1.96 g/L respectively; officers said those stops followed observations of erratic, zig‑zagging driving, and that the driver with the highest recorded level was also travelling at high speed on the Envalira pass. Authorities said one of the stopped drivers was a tourist.

Officials noted that the Aixirivall site has seen a serious incident before: a similar plunge in recent years resulted in a fatality, a factor prompting the current judicial authority to examine the case thoroughly.