“Justice for David!” A video release captures the heartbreaking scream of the mother and father of Granada native David Jódar Lemos, who died in a traffic crash in Montamarta, Zamora, on September 25, 2019, at the age of 21. The cries accompany messages of solidarity affirming David’s right to justice. The car crash involved a driver from Zamora who, under the influence of drugs, drove a vehicle after using cocaine and marijuana. A trip from Peque toward the Zamora capital ended in tragedy, taking the lives of three people.
This long-running plea for justice includes a YouTube channel created by David’s family to document the case and advocate for accountability. The Zamora Court initially sentenced the driver, identified by initials RSJ, to five years in prison and seven and a half years without a driver’s license. The Supreme Court of Castilla y León later reviewed the case and reportedly ruled that a prison sentence could not be justified because the effects of drug use on the driver’s brain could not be demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt, a decision described by supporters as inconsistent with the available evidence.
The High Court left in place a penalty of three thousand euros for each person who died, including a case involving a 16-year-old passenger seated in the back of the defendant’s Peugeot. The court also considered the 48-year-old truck driver, a father of two, who described wearing his safety vest and having emergency lights on at the time. The narrative includes allegations of high speed, with the driver of the truck allegedly traveling at 133 kilometers per hour in a stretch of the A-66 at approximately 22:30. The record notes that there was no apparent braking, raising questions about causation and responsibility.
Parents Rosa Lemos and Ildefonso Jódar Mudarra have not yet found a full explanation for the decision. Ombudsman and various experts who tested the defendant’s blood and urine reported high levels of drugs, reinforcing the parents’ view that the driver was heavily impaired. The family emphasizes that the court’s decision did not dispute the presence of intoxication, yet they feel the punishment did not reflect the severity of the harm. The family remains hopeful that the Supreme Court will reconsider the sentence and uphold a verdict that aligns with the gravity of the incident.
The couple’s message is clear: seek accountability not only for their son but also to deter similar tragedies. The accompanying video features statements from family lawyers and voices from the regional community in Zamora, underscoring how a preventable accident can resonate far beyond a single household. The opening statement echoes a plea that the incident could be someone else’s son, brother, father, or friend, stressing the human impact behind the legal process. The grandmother’s memory is also invoked, reminding viewers of the personal toll of the case.
Support for the case has come from Granada’s municipal authorities, local leaders, and professionals across fields—doctors, nurses, first responders, cyclists, and road-safety advocates. They urge the Supreme Court to uphold the original Zamora Court ruling, arguing that the driver’s behavior warrants substantial consequences and that a measure like a ten-year sentence would reflect the seriousness of two or more lives lost and the surrounding harm. The narrative notes that the High Court’s annulment left the family seeking clarity and justice, while the family’s supporters argue that retaining the initial penalties would better reflect the stakes involved in severe impairment on the road.
The family’s YouTube channel has drawn hundreds of viewers, turning private pain into public attention. Rosa Lemos reflects on the tension between pursuing a longer sentence and the constraint of the High Court’s decision, describing the experience as a four-year wait that culminated in a decision that did not meet their expectations. The discussion includes testimony from professionals who studied the defendant’s drug levels, with experts noting that the individual tested positive for substances well above thresholds commonly used in traffic-safety enforcement. The discussion captures how those findings intersect with the narrative of grief and safety, highlighting the imperative to prevent future tragedies.
Rosa Lemos has become a tireless advocate for road-safety awareness and for reforms in how drug impairment is assessed in driving cases. The campaign connects the personal loss with broader calls for accountability and safer roads, urging judges and lawmakers to consider the real-world consequences of impaired driving. The family’s resolve is presented as a call to action for communities and authorities alike, urging changes that might prevent similar losses in the future, and to ensure that drug impairment is met with appropriate and consistent consequences in court.
Zamorano Case on National Highway Safety Days
Rosa Lemos has emerged as a vocal advocate for road-safety reforms. Together with her husband, she has campaigned for stronger enforcement and clearer standards. The Montamarta accident, attributed to the driver’s drug use and negligence, serves as a catalyst for ongoing public dialogue about prevention. The central objective of this case is not only to seek justice for David but also to encourage judges to apply penalties commensurate with the harm caused and to deter future violations.
Her steadfast determination inspired support from the wider community during the XXV Mediterranean Road Safety Conference in Barcelona. There the focus was on best practices for assisting victims of road violence and for ensuring that drivers are held accountable when drugs influence their behavior. Rosa described the legal journey she endured after years of waiting in Zamora, expressing some disappointment at the perceived gaps between expectations and outcomes, while highlighting the necessity of perseverance and reform.
She notes that drug presence in plasma above common enforcement thresholds should trigger penalties, and she cites expert testimony and medical reports describing high levels of cocaine and marijuana. The case has become a focal point for dialogue about how to interpret drug influence in driving and how courts should respond when impairment is evident. The story ends with a reflection that the pursuit of justice is ongoing, and that society must strive to keep roads safe for everyone, so tragedies like David’s do not recur.