Lorry overturns onto taxi at Carlos Haya 'false tunnel' in Málaga. Taxi driver trapped

A heavy lorry lost control and overturned onto a taxi at the Ortega Prados tunnel, popularly known as the Carlos Haya "false tunnel", in Málaga city on Wednesday 11 November. The crash caused major tailbacks on the MA-20 ring road, according to Diario Sur and SUR in English.

Key facts

• When: around 8.10pm on Wednesday 11 November 2026.
• Where: the MA-20 in the Cádiz direction, at the Ortega Prados (Carlos Haya) tunnel, near the Avenida de Valle-Inclán slip road.
• Injuries: the taxi driver was injured but conscious; the lorry driver was not seriously hurt, according to Diario Sur.
• Traffic: the Valle-Inclán slip road was fully closed and only the left-hand lane was open on the MA-20 at the tunnel.

What happened

According to Diario Sur, the large lorry lost control on the MA-20 heading towards Cádiz. It overturned and hit a taxi that was joining the road from Avenida de Valle-Inclán.

Firefighters, the Guardia Civil Traffic Unit, Local Police, road maintenance crews and 061 emergency medical staff went to the scene.

Citing sources, Diario Sur said the taxi driver was trapped inside the vehicle and injured, though conscious. It reported that firefighters freed him after several hours and he was taken to a hospital. SUR in English, citing sources, said the taxi driver was trapped and injured but conscious, and that the lorry driver was not injured. Diario Sur described the lorry driver's condition as not serious.

Possible cause

According to the sources cited by both outlets, the main initial theory is that rain and the wet road surface may have caused the lorry to lose control. The authorities will also look into whether the vehicle was travelling too fast. No cause has been confirmed.

Traffic disruption

The Málaga traffic management centre advised drivers to avoid the area and use the A-7 as an alternative route, according to both outlets. The slip road from Avenida de Valle-Inclán stayed completely closed, while traffic on the MA-20 was limited to the left-hand lane at the tunnel.

A troublesome spot

Diario Sur noted that the tunnel has seen other serious accidents. In February 2017 a four-year-old boy died when the vehicle he was travelling in hit the central reservation of the MA-20, about 50 metres from the tunnel. In December 2013 a car driver died when his vehicle overturned inside the tunnel, and two other people were injured.

Diario Sur also recalled that in May 2014 an articulated lorry loaded with bricks overturned before reaching the tunnel and ended up across the carriageway. In February 2025 another trailer lorry ended up across the MA-20, and traffic was fully cut for part of the afternoon.

What drivers should know

Anyone using the MA-20 around Carlos Haya in wet weather should check the latest traffic information before setting out. The Málaga traffic management centre has pointed to the A-7 as the alternative route.