A court in Lleida has fined a driver after a collision in Alfés that killed three motorcyclists on 22 September 2022. The Provincial Court ruled that the driver was distracted while drinking coffee at the wheel, but said the conduct amounted to less serious imprudence, not gross negligence.
The sentence is a fine of €10 a day for 18 months. It follows a trial held last November, after the Public Prosecutor's Office asked for six years in prison for three counts of reckless homicide. A private prosecution had asked for nine years.
The court accepted the Mossos d'Esquadra investigation, which said there was clear inattention because the driver was drinking from a cup of coffee at the time. The police report said she was steering with one hand while holding a freshly bought coffee cup in the other.
According to the report, the car moved to the right without her noticing, then rubbed against a kerb after entering the hard shoulder. When she tried to correct the vehicle, it crossed into the opposite lane and hit two of the three motorcycles, one of which carried two victims. The court said the lane line was crossed involuntarily.
The Provincial Court said it had not been proven that the driver showed a total disregard for basic duties of caution. Families of the victims have appealed the ruling to the High Court of Justice of Catalonia. One family, represented by lawyer Xavier Prats, argues that the crash could have been avoided if the driver had paid enough attention and kept both hands on the wheel.
The appeal will now be reviewed by the higher court, which will decide whether the classification of the imprudence should be changed. For more Catalonia-wide court and public safety coverage, see our news page.
