Several vehicles collided along the A-4 highway near the town of Ciudad Real, Santa Cruz de Mudela, leaving at least three people dead and 18 others injured to varying degrees, three seriously. The pileups occurred in a stretch where fog reduced visibility, complicating rescue efforts and traffic management.
Emergency authorities relay that a number of the injured were trapped at the scene, delaying transfer to hospital facilities. Information provided to Europa Press from the 112 Emergency Service indicates that one of the critically injured individuals could not yet be moved to a hospital due to entrapment, with treatment anticipated at hospitals in Ciudad Real and Albacete as the situation allowed safe extraction.
In response, authorities reported a full closure of the A-4 to traffic after the early morning incidents. This closure, initially enacted after 9:00 am on Thursday, followed multiple additional collisions. Dense fog and the resulting low visibility have been cited as primary contributing factors, prompting a comprehensive emergency response and traffic control measures.
The regional government, Castilla-La Mancha, activated security protocols for multi-vehicle, multi-victim traffic accidents in direct proportion to the scale of the crashes. Street closures and detours were implemented to safeguard road users while rescue teams worked on-site.
Civil Guard units were deployed to the scene along with firefighters from the Manzanares and Valdepeñas stations. Medical support included five ambulances, three mobile intensive care units, and a medical helicopter, all mobilized to stabilize patients and coordinate rapid transport to appropriate medical facilities.
The incidents occurred at the same location where 14 people were injured in a previous collision involving 13 vehicles, including seven trucks, four cars, an ambulance, and a minibus. That incident, which affected traffic in the direction of Andalusia, resulted in injuries of varying severity and required extensive emergency intervention.
Of the 14 injured in that prior event, three were women and 11 were men. Transport arrangements for the injured were split among nearby hospitals: some were taken to the hospital in Manzanares, others to Valdepeñas, and the remainder to Ciudad Real. The latest report confirms continued medical assessment and stabilization at facilities best equipped to manage multiple trauma cases.
As responders continued to manage the scene, traffic authorities advised motorists to avoid the corridor, consider alternate routes, and stay tuned for further updates regarding road reopenings and safety advisories. The evolving situation remained under constant coordination among local police, regional health services, and road safety agencies to ensure that lifesaving interventions proceed without delay and that future incidents on this busy stretch are mitigated where possible, especially under adverse weather conditions.
These events underscore the dangers posed by fog and other weather-related factors on high-traffic routes. They also highlight the readiness of regional emergency services to mobilize quickly, deploy multi-disciplinary teams, and adapt traffic management plans in real time. Observers note that this kind of coordinated response is essential to balancing rapid medical care with the safety of rescue personnel and other road users, particularly on major corridors that connect communities across Castilla-La Mancha and beyond.
Authorities continue to investigate the incidents to determine precise causes, confirm the total number of casualties, and assess any contributing factors such as vehicle speed, road conditions, and visibility. While investigations proceed, the affected stretch of the A-4 remains a focal point for regional emergency planning and ongoing traffic safety communications.