The accident occurred in the early hours of March 20, 2016, when a vehicle carrying young people of various nationalities back from the Valencia Fallas to Barcelona lost control. The bus crossed the median and overturned, resulting in thirteen fatalities and over forty injuries, mostly involving students from the University of Barcelona.

The social impact of the tragedy reached across Europe, as the victims were part of the Erasmus program. Despite the scale of the event, the judicial process was marked by several dismissals. Initial investigations suggested driver fatigue as the most likely cause, but a lack of conclusive evidence hindered the criminal proceedings in the Amposta courts.

The case was officially closed in 2023 following the death of the driver, who was the sole individual under investigation. Although no convictions were made, the incident sparked an intense debate regarding road transport safety and driver rest periods for long-distance group travel.