The driver of the truck that intentionally stopped in the "Vitinya" tunnel on the "Hemus" highway, and caused a kilometer-long traffic jam in the direction of Sofia - is still detained. In addition, the driver violated the ban on the movement of heavy trucks towards Sofia. On site, officers of the Automobile Administration have established two violations - exceeding the driving time and lack of a license. In addition, the truck had a cracked front panoramic window. This was confirmed in "Hello, Bulgaria" on "Nova TV" by the head of the "Traffic Police" sector at the OD MIA - Sofia Chief Inspector Vladislav Pavlikyanov.
We recall that the driver refused to be towed with "Roadside Assistance" offered to him by the RIA, even though it was explained to him that the towing of the vehicle would be free of charge. He explained that his boss would not pay if it was not from a specific company from the other side of the country. Thus, the man was detained for 24 hours. The Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Georgi Kandev wrote in a post on Facebook that what happened raises serious doubts about intentional actions during the most intense traffic and all resources will be used to establish whether it was sabotage. From the Executive Agency “Automobile Administration“ they are checking the company.
"On Monday, around 11 a.m., our officers found that a traffic jam had formed on the “Hemus“ highway, in the direction of Sofia, before the “Vitinya“ tunnel. Entering the tunnel itself, a heavy truck was found, which, according to the driver, had suddenly broken down. There was only one lane left for traffic - the overtaking lane, in the direction of Sofia. Within about 30 minutes, a kilometer-long traffic jam had formed," explained Pavlikyanov.
According to the driver, the engine had stalled and he was unable to start it. When the traffic police went to the scene - no attempt was made to set the truck on fire.
He emphasized that the driver was detained at the Elin Pelin police station, and why he refused help - is yet to be established, since pre-trial proceedings have been initiated in the case at the Ihtiman District Prosecutor's Office.
"The driver was warned about his actions. After he refused to move the car, we took other actions - we detained him. The truck has already been repatriated. When the free roadside assistance arrived and shortly before the detention, the driver cooperated and the car was taken out of the tunnel," the uniformed officer emphasized.
Two violations were established for the truck driver - failure to comply with the driving time and failure to carry a license. In addition, the truck had a cracked front panoramic window, for which a report was drawn up. "At the moment, the truck is outside the tunnel and is being guarded by the police", explained the chief inspector.
Regarding the ban on the movement of heavy trucks between 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on April 13, he specified that it applied to highways. "First-class and second-class roads could be used by heavy trucks. How many kilometers he traveled on the highway in violation will be determined by the cameras," explained Pavlikyanov.
A check was carried out on the driver. There are no serious previous violations, except for one from 2011, for which he was deprived of the right to drive for 7 months. He presented a Greek driving license, while his Bulgarian one was valid until January 2006.