Catalan Truck Driver Charged with DUI After Fleeing Caustic Soda Crash

**Catalan Police Charge Truck Driver with DUI and Reckless Driving After Fleeing Hazardous Crash Near Andorra**

A 62-year-old truck driver faces charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence in Catalonia after colliding with a vehicle carrying 17,000 litres of caustic soda near Andorra's southern border and attempting to flee the scene.

The incident took place around 7pm Thursday on the A-22 highway in Almacelles. The man's trailer struck the side of the hazardous goods truck, causing minor damage including a broken wing mirror and bodywork scratches. No chemical leakage occurred. A witness called the 112 emergency line, prompting officers from the Ponent Regional Traffic Area to pursue the vehicle. They observed it swerving erratically at kilometre 472 on the A-2 towards Barcelona. After ignoring initial signals, the driver was stopped on the N-II in Bell-lloc d'Urgell, where his truck was impounded. A breath test showed 0.90 mg/l of alcohol in his blood. The repeat offender has been summoned to the investigating court in Lleida.

Andorran police have meanwhile arrested several drivers for impaired operation in recent days. On Tuesday night, officers stopped a 37-year-old resident on a motorcycle at the Josep Escaler roundabout on Avinguda Tarragona in Andorra la Vella. His breath test registered just over 2 grams of alcohol per litre of blood. Classified as a repeat offender posing a public safety risk and charged with a crime against collective security, he received a one-month conditional nighttime arrest order in a fast-track hearing Wednesday, requiring addiction treatment at the Unitat de Conductes Addictives (UCA).

Early Wednesday around 2am at the Prada Casadet roundabout in Andorra la Vella, police detained a 24- or 25-year-old local with multiple prior offences after he tested positive for alcohol and refused a drug test. He insulted and threatened officers with death, resisted arrest, kicked out a rear window of a patrol car, warped a door frame—causing over €3,000 in qualified damage verified by experts—and damaged furniture at police headquarters. He also allegedly assaulted an agent. The Batllia charged him with drunk driving, refusing the drug test, qualified damage to public property, conditional threats, injuries, insults, and disobedience. In a fast-track hearing Wednesday, the duty batlle imposed six months of conditional nighttime arrest, linked to UCA treatment for up to two years.

Additional arrests this week include a 30-year-old woman early Tuesday in Incles with 2.02 g/l after swerving into oncoming traffic and onto a kerb on the CG-2; a 56-year-old man Wednesday night in Ordino with 1.77 g/l after hitting a sign at the Aldosa roundabout and continuing; and a 31-year-old motorcyclist on the CG-2 near Racons for driving with a suspended licence and improper overtaking. French border police also detained a 28-year-old tourist for using false identification.