Criticism of the Mossos d'Esquadra for their response to the suicide bomber who caused the fatal AP-7 accident

BarcelonaIt was Easter Sunday, one of the busiest days of the year, around 7 a.m. Suddenly, a car traveling at high speed, over 200 kilometers per hour, hit a group of vehicles from behind that were stopped on the AP-7, near Vilablareix (Gironès). One man died in the accident and seven people were injured, including the suicide driver and his passenger. The Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) had previously detected this vehicle, which was almost double the speed limit, and decided to implement a technique known as "dynamic saturation," according to police sources. This involves slowing down traffic on the motorway to force the reckless driver to exit and stop it. Sources consulted by ARA indicate that it is frequently used and is also used in other countries.

However, the move didn't go well: the car didn't swerve and ended up colliding with other vehicles. This has raised criticism among the families who were on the motorway at the time and felt exposed. In statements to ACN, Jaume Moro, one of the drivers who acts as a spokesperson for two families, claims that the police "put them in danger." "They wanted to slow down the traffic, but there are enough police cars [to do it] and not have to endanger the public," he complains.

Jaume and his family had arranged to meet other friends to go to Tarragona. He explains that they were leaving in two cars when, upon reaching the roundabout leading into Girona Sud, they encountered two police patrol cars that let them through. When they joined the motorway, they found traffic slowed down, and 200 or 300 meters later, "a Mossos d'Esquadra patrol stopped traffic." "They moved a truck that was in front of them, made it cross, and behind us were full of cars," Moro said. It was then that they saw the reckless driver's car approaching at high speed and crashing head-on into another vehicle in the back row. As a result of the collision, Jaume recalls, several parts of the car flew across the motorway. "It could have been us," he laments.

After issuing a warning to the Empordà region about a speeding car, several Mossos d'Esquadra patrols were activated to try to force him to leave the road via one of the exits. To this end, the Mossos d'Esquadra stated, they slowed down the flow of vehicles near Vilablareix and began maneuvering to clear the right lane for the reckless driver to exit the motorway. However, Jaume Moro asserts that this was not the case because "all the lanes were full of vehicles." The Mossos d'Esquadra investigation is ongoing and will specify these details.

Similar incidents in France

After monitoring his progress in the hospital, the Mossos d'Esquadra finally arrested the reckless driver this Tuesday at the Girona Doctor Josep Trueta Hospital. They charge him with homicide due to gross negligence, two counts of injuries due to gross negligence, reckless driving, and possible driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. As a result of the collision, a Cardedeu resident died and seven other people were injured. They were taken to various hospitals, and three have already been discharged. The remaining four remain hospitalized.

The detainee, a 28-year-old man, was not a novice in these practices. According to sources consulted by ARA, he had several previous convictions for similar offenses in France, his native country. Police sources warn of an upward trend in this type of driver, who travel to the Principality because the sentences there are lower.