Bullfighter sent to jail for killer car accident

Ortega Cano receives
his sentence

SEVILLA Retired bullfighter, breeder and celebrity José Ortega Cano was condemned to two years, six months and one day in jail for the fatal car accident of May 28, 2011 in which the driver of the other car, Carlos Parra, was killed. Although Ortega Cano insisted in his defence that he had obeyed all road signs and speed limits, and had not had anything stronger than a soft drink -although he admitted he had 'wet his lips' with cava- his blood alcohol level was way over the limit. His lawyer alleged that the 'chain of custody' of blood sample had been broken at the Virgen Macarena Hospital in Sevilla, where he had been attended to, and was thus not trusted as proof. José Ortega Cano is a frequent presence in the celebrity-prone media because he was married to singing star Rocío Jurado, who died in 2006, and with whom he adopted two children. Retired as a matador some years ago, he became a biological father in February this year with his present partner Ana María Aldón. Ortega Cano has announced he will appeal.

Ministry plans total ban of alcohol at the wheel

Speed limits on secondary roads to be lowered

SPAIN (Agencies) Minister of the Interior Jorge Fernández Díaz announced earlier this week that he is preparing a series of restrictions and regulations. Among these is a complete ban on alcohol in the blood when driving. While he pointed out that these were in the preparation stage and not yet law, the minister added that other measures include a speed limit reduction on secondary, or N-roads, would deal with the roads that show three quarter of all fatal accidents. To compensate for this, speed limits on motorways will be increased "where safety is not compromised." Fernández Díaz did not say by how much. Other moves include making bicycle helmets obligatory on all roads, including inner city streets, beginning with under-18s. A ban on cycling on the pavement is also on the cards. The minister said that although the number of fatal accidents had decreased considerably "there is always room for improvement."

Major nationwide crackdown on drink- and drug-driving this week

Zero tolerance on drink driving announced by ministry

SPAIN (Agencies) Reports are coming in that there are some 10,000 Guardia Civil officers on the roads of Spain over last weekend. With Wednesday being a national holiday, many people are taking a couple of days off on either side of the holiday, plus those who are on holiday anyway. Taiulbacks have been the rule in many places, especially along the coastline, and are expected to continue. As the holidays are a time of relaxation, local ferias large and small, eating and drinking, they also show a marked increase in drink- and drug-driving, so controls for either or both can be forecast for most of the country. This at a time the Ministry of the Interior has announced, among other things, that it plans to lower the drink-driving mark to zero: not a drop of alcohol in the bloodstream when driving (We are preparing an article on this and the other measures announced).