He had just loaded vegetables in Torre Pacheco and was planning to load a second load in San Cayetano and then transport everything to Switzerland.
The Guardia Civil of the Region of Murcia has intercepted a lorry driver of a heavy goods vehicle on the RM-19, near San Javier, who, after verifying that he was well over the maximum blood alcohol limit, has been investigated and has been charged as the alleged perpetrator of a crime against road safety.
The events took place on the RM-19 road, which links Puerto de la Cadena with San Javier, when a patrol of motorcyclists from the Traffic Detachment of the Civil Guard of Cartagena, who were carrying out a preventive alcohol and drug control at the height of the municipality of San Javier, when they asked the driver of an articulated lorry to submit to the mandatory tests, he gave a positive result for alcohol.
The driver of the HGV gave results of 0.65 and 0.66 milligrams of alcohol per litre of exhaled air, exceeding the maximum permitted level by more than four times, which in the case of professional drivers is 0.15 mg/litre.
In these circumstances, the lorry driver, who had just loaded vegetables in Torre Pacheco, was on his way to San Cayetano to make a second load to complete the trailer and, subsequently, was on his way to Switzerland to unload them, was investigated and proceedings were opened against him as the alleged perpetrator of an offence against road safety, for driving above the legal limit for alcoholic beverages.
The person under investigation was placed at the disposal of the Court of Instruction of San Javier, together with the proceedings, for the corresponding trial by the fast-track procedure for certain offences. Another driver from the same company had to go to the checkpoint to take charge of the vehicle and the goods.
The offence of driving over the legal limit for alcoholic beverages is included in article 379 of the Penal Code and can be punished alternatively with prison sentences of 3 to 6 months, a fine of 6 to 12 months or community service of 31 to 90 days and, in any case, with deprivation of the right to drive motor vehicles and mopeds for a period of more than 1 and up to 4 years.
The Guardia Civil continues to reiterate its message to those drivers who recklessly and recklessly, despite the campaigns and warnings of the Directorate General of Traffic, drive after drinking or taking drugs, recalling that, without prejudice to the systematic carrying out of ordinary or special preventive controls, the mandatory breathalyser and drug tests will be carried out on drivers who are reported for committing offences, involvement in accidents or those whose consumption is detected in the course of other surveillance and inspection activities carried out.
The aim of these actions is to make the public aware of the incompatibility of these substances with driving, given the reduced reflexes and ability to control vehicles, and to guarantee road safety on our roads, thus avoiding traffic accidents and the serious consequences which, as in this case, could have resulted, appealing to this type of heavy goods transport, whose professional drivers should avoid getting behind the wheel under these conditions.
On the other hand, the Guardia Civil of the Region of Murcia wants to appeal to the civic conscience of the population to call 062 (Guardia Civil) or 112 (Emergencies) or directly to the patrols on duty, when they find anomalous situations or irregular manoeuvres that give rise to think that the drivers are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, with the aim of being able to adopt the appropriate police measures so that these vehicles can be intercepted and checked to ensure that their drivers are in a suitable condition to drive safely, thus avoiding the consequent risk.