The Mossos d'Esquadra arrested a 76-year-old man in Figueres for driving more than 35 kilometers in the wrong direction on the AP 7 during the early hours of Thursday, March 12. The vehicle was intercepted around 00:30 hours at kilometer 30 of the highway, after several drivers reported that it was driving in the third lane in the wrong direction.
Intervention of the agents on the highway
The alert reached officers of the Regional Operational Resources Area, the ARRO, who at that moment were deployed in prevention tasks against the so-called "teloneros". With the information provided by the witnesses, the agents located the car, managed to stop it on the road and removed it from the roadway to avoid a greater risk for the rest of the users.
The police confirmed that the driver was disoriented when they identified him. Even so, the alcohol and drug tests performed on him yielded negative results. Once it was verified that he was well, the Mossos proceeded to his arrest as the alleged perpetrator of a reckless driving offense.
The maneuver, under investigation
The arrest was formalized in Figueres and the possible origin of the maneuver is located at the Le Perthus and El Voló toll booth, already at the northern end of the highway. The main hypothesis with which the investigators are working suggests that the man got confused upon reaching that point and decided to turn around to return on the AP 7 in the opposite direction.
The car managed to travel more than 35 kilometers before being intercepted, on an especially sensitive stretch due to long-haul nocturnal traffic. The investigation remains open to precisely clarify how the improper entry occurred and confirm the complete route the vehicle took until being stopped by the Mossos.