The owners of the vehicles transported to a guarded facility near the Yambol village of Veselinovo following the chain crashes on the Trakia motorway will not have to pay for their storage. The towing to the facility, as well as the removal of cargo from the vehicles, will also be free of charge.
The facility contains cars, vans, trucks and trailers. Some of them are severely damaged and cannot be driven under their own power. Owners may use their own roadside assistance and workers to transload the goods, without being charged for these services by the facility.
20 vehicles remain part of the investigation
A total of 20 vehicles have been designated by investigators from the National Investigation Service as material evidence in the case. They will remain at the guarded facility until permission is received from the investigating magistrate and the supervising prosecutor.
The remaining vehicles can be collected without permission from a prosecutor or investigator. Upon handover, police officers will draw up a receipt, while owners must prove their rights to the vehicle and its cargo. Video surveillance and a police presence are available on site to provide assistance during collection.
Vehicles whose owners were not at the scene or were unable to arrange their towing on the night of the incident were also transported to the facility. Representatives of the roadside assistance industry association took part in the arrangements, securing assistance from companies across the country for the free transportation.
Two reports of money being requested are being investigated
Police said they had received two reports from industry organisations concerning possible requests for payment for towing and releasing the vehicles. The checks are ongoing. So far, there has been no specific report from a vehicle owner that they were asked to pay for these services.
“We have not received a single specific report from a person who owns a vehicle that any money was requested for towing or anything else,” said Dobrin Dimitrov, director of the Yambol Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior.According to him, the facility was chosen because it is close to the crash site, is guarded and has the necessary capacity. The institutions are urging owners to collect their vehicles and cargo as soon as possible so that space at the facility can be freed up.
Sources: novini.bg, vesti.bg, 24chasa.bg