Unfortunately, we had an accident tonight - a serious traffic accident between a tractor with a semi-trailer attached and a bus from the intercity transport lines, in which, unfortunately, we have one passenger dead and 6 hospitalized in a health facility, one with a life-threatening condition. Another 10 were examined and released with minor injuries. This was announced at a briefing to journalists by Commissioner Martin Tsurinski, Deputy Head of the “Traffic Police“ Department at the SDVR.
We recall that the accident occurred tonight on the “Hemus” at the entrance to Sofia after the village of Yana.
„We can say about the incident that the reasons remain unclear at the moment. They will be clarified in the course of the pre-trial proceedings. One of the drivers who drove the bus acquired his driving license in 1985, he was born in 1967, and so far the driver's record contains information about 45 violations of the Road Traffic Act, and in 2017 he suffered a 10-month disqualification from driving - a traffic accident under the influence of alcohol, as far as I know. The driver of the tractor was born in 1982, acquired his driving license in 2000, has 29 violations in his record, and has had two disqualifications from driving - one in 2006 for 1 month and one in 2008 for 5 months“, he also shared.
“All participants in the accident have been identified – a total of 18 people, information is pending to say what exactly happened. There is no video surveillance at the scene. A 69-year-old passenger is in danger of death“, he added.
There is a three-year-old injured child, he was with his mother.
“Alcohol tests have been conducted – negative for both drivers. The driver of the tractor-trailer tested positive for amphetamine and methamphetamine in the field test, he gave a blood sample. "He gave evidence that he was using medication," Commissioner Tsurinski also said.
Five teams from the "Traffic Police" department took part.
The bus was traveling from Dobrich to Sofia.
The drivers are currently detained. The driver of the TIR is in good health, the driver of the bus is hospitalized.