The president of the Provincial Council of Ourense, Manuel Baltar, regretted this Thursday the “mistake” by which on April 23 the official car he was driving reached 215 kilometers per hour on the A-52, at the height of Zamora, when he was going to Madrid for work meetings.
In a letter signed by him and provided to the press, he publicly apologizes and claims to be the first person to regret the consequences of a “painful situation” derived “from an isolated error but which is, of course, not adequate”.
Baltar was sanctioned by the Civil Guard in the same act last Sunday. The Armed Institute sent the police report to the Puebla de Sanabria (Zamora) court for a possible crime against road safety.
As a public official, Baltar points out in that letter released today Thursday that he has been driving for many years and in a regular way official cars on institutional trips, as he did last Sunday afternoon.
“In a moment of confusion that occurred on a long straight line on the A-52, without references of any kind, I was above the permitted speed limits,” he says. “I deeply regret this mistake,” explains the also president of the PP of Ourense.
It also indicates that it has complied with the payment of the administrative sanction -of 600 euros, in addition to the withdrawal of 6 points from the driving license-, and that it is in a position to collaborate with any “ulterior diligence”.
Police sources cited by EFE explained that there would be a crime for driving above 212 kilometers per hour in a section that is limited to 120, therefore, more than 60 km/hour above the permitted speed. For these cases, article 379 of the Code provides for a custodial sentence of three to six months, a fine of six to twelve months or work for the benefit of the community. In any case, it is also punishable by a ban on driving motor vehicles for a period of between one and four years.
Finally, the text reaffirms its commitment to the province of Ourense, which remains “intact”. Baltar has been president of the institution since 2012, when he succeeded his father, José Luis Baltar, in office. He has also led the Orense PP since 2010.
