Guardia Civil investigates truck driver for reversing 400 meters on A-7 motorway in Almeria

Incident on the Almeria motorway

Officers from the Traffic Subsector of the Guardia Civil in Almeria opened an official investigation into the driver of an articulated vehicle following a dangerous maneuver on the A-7 motorway. The incident occurred when the heavy goods vehicle encountered a traffic jam along an active section of the route. Rather than waiting in the queue of stopped vehicles, the truck operator decided to shift into reverse directly on the motorway carriageway. The articulated vehicle traveled backward for more than 400 meters along the road surface in an attempt to reach the previous exit and leave the highway entirely. High-capacity motorways are designed strictly for unidirectional movement at elevated speeds, making reverse travel an immediate danger to following motorists. Traffic investigators formally attributed an alleged offense against road safety for reckless driving to the driver.

Video review and driver identification

The operation to identify and locate the driver was conducted by the Road Safety Investigation Unit belonging to the Traffic Analysis and Investigation Group, known as GIAT. Investigators initiated the inquiry by requesting and scrutinizing visual recordings captured along the A-7 motorway corridor. The surveillance footage was recorded by security cameras belonging to the Southeast Traffic Management Center of the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT). By systematically reviewing the camera feeds, specialized officers observed the truck initiating and executing the reverse maneuver toward the prior junction. The technical analysis of the recordings enabled the Benemerita to identify the vehicle and locate the individual who was operating the articulated lorry during the event.

Legal charges and statutory penalties

The driver is formally under investigation for reckless driving under the Spanish criminal code, facing substantial statutory penalties upon conviction. The applicable legal framework establishes that the investigated driver could receive a prison term ranging between two and five years. In addition to custodial sentencing, the court may impose a monetary fine spanning a period of 12 to 24 months. The charges also carry a mandatory deprivation of the right to drive motor vehicles and mopeds for a duration between six and ten years. The complete investigative file assembled by the GIAT unit is being submitted to the judicial authorities for formal court proceedings.

Highway monitoring and surveillance protocols

Following the identification of the lorry driver, the Guardia Civil noted that its personnel maintain permanent monitoring across the road network in the province of Almeria. The surveillance effort is carried out through coordinated actions between the specialized Traffic Group and regional Public Security units. These field teams work in continuous partnership with the Traffic Management Centers operated by the Directorate-General for Traffic. Such joint operations focus on identifying dangerous infractions on high-capacity roads, where erratic maneuvers present elevated risks of multi-vehicle collisions. Law enforcement agencies reported that active highway monitoring remains in place to protect drivers and maintain safe traffic conditions throughout the southeastern province.