Van Driver Arrested for Drink-Driving Crash in Andorra After Hit-and-Run Claim Backfires

A van driver in Andillo's Racons district collided with several parked cars shortly after 9:45pm on Saturday, then drove off in the damaged vehicle. Police quickly launched an investigation, tracing the suspect via a detached wing mirror and other debris left at the scene. The same individual soon contacted authorities, claiming his vehicle had been struck by a hit-and-run driver.

Officers identified the mirrorless van matching the description at a checkpoint near Funicamp in Canillo, with the caller still at the wheel. A breath test revealed he exceeded the alcohol limit, resulting in his arrest for a public safety offence involving drink-driving and damage to the parked cars. The 28-year-old Encamp resident recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 1.78 g/l.

This case formed part of 17 arrests over the Easter period from Wednesday to Saturday, targeting traffic safety violations, public health offences, and assaults on physical integrity. Police released details on Monday. Drink-driving accounted for 14 cases—13 men and one woman aged 19 to 47, including 11 residents and three non-residents, with levels from 0.95 to 2.34 g/l.

Standout incidents included a 22-year-old Canillo resident arrested on Wednesday, 3 April, after a crash with injuries, at 2.34 g/l plus negligent injury charges. That day, a 38-year-old Canillo resident tested at 1.89 g/l despite a suspended licence. On Saturday, a 19-year-old Escaldes-Engordany resident was held at 2.04 g/l following a material-damage crash. In Encamp, a 29-year-old resident registered 1.49 g/l, refused a drug test, and carried 3.8 grams of hashish.

Additional arrests involved drugs: an Encamp non-resident at 1.68 g/l with 4.7 grams of cocaine, facing public health charges; and at the Runer river border on Saturday, two non-residents—a 34-year-old woman with 16 speed pills, and a 29-year-old man with 0.7 grams of powdered ecstasy, one ecstasy pill, and 2.37 grams of hashish—stopped while entering Andorra in private vehicles.

The sole non-drink-driving case saw a 36-year-old man detained in Escaldes-Engordany on Friday for gender-based violence after assaulting his partner during a domestic dispute.