Five die in Spanish checkpoint accident

A truck carrying steel girders ran over police manning a checkpoint outside Madrid today, killing five people and injuring two others, officials said.

The accident happened as the driver headed for Madrid along the main highway leading into the city from the north.

The fatalities and injuries were among the Spanish Civil Guard, a paramilitary police force that is part of the Interior Ministry.

The news agency Efe quoted ministry officials as saying the Romanian-born truck driver had apparently fallen asleep at the wheel.