A DELIVERY driver has died in a tragic crash near a popular Cadiz expat hotspot as calls grow to make one of the province’s most dangerous roads safer.
The collision happened at around 4pm on Thursday when the courier’s van crashed into a lorry near Olvera on the A-384, one of the busiest and most hazardous roads in the Sierra de Cadiz.
The lorry driver managed to escape without serious injuries, authorities said, but nothing could be done to save the delivery driver, who was well accustomed to travelling the route.
Olvera’s mayor, Remedios Palma, told the Olive Press she has repeatedly urged the Junta de Andalucia to approve long-requested safety improvements to the road – but added her pleas had fallen on deaf ears.
“This is one more death, one more tragedy that proves this road needs urgent attention,” she said.
Palma explained that her administration has been demanding improvements since the start of its term, adding that previous local governments had made the same requests without success.
“The A-384 urgently needs to be dualled,” she said, referring to plans to convert the single-carriageway road into a dual carriageway.
“This road carries heavy goods vehicles, agricultural traffic, commuters and students travelling to cities such as Malaga, Cadiz and Granada.
“It is not simply a rural road. It is a major regional route linking all the towns of the Sierra de Cadiz and providing residents with access to provincial capitals and neighbouring communities.”
Thousands of motorists travelling between Arcos and Antequera, including residents of Olvera, Grazalema, Setenil and Zahara, rely on the A-384 every day, with many having no practical alternative route.
According to Spain’s traffic authority, 36 fatal crashes were recorded along the road in 2024 alone – several with more than one victim.
Palma added that the area has a thriving agricultural sector, resulting in a high volume of slow-moving vehicles, while overtaking opportunities are limited and safety measures remain inadequate.
The latest fatality adds to a growing list of deadly crashes on the road.
Last summer alone, three people were killed in separate accidents near Algodonales within the space of a week.
Palma believes the regional government is failing to give the Sierra de Cadiz the attention it deserves — a frustration shared by many residents, particularly after the severe storms that battered the area in February.
“All the towns in the Sierra, together with the association of local authorities, have raised this issue with the Junta on multiple occasions, but nothing has changed,” she said.
The Sierra de Cadiz is home to a thriving expat community, with hundreds of foreign residents – mostly Britons – living in towns throughout the region.
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