Today, the funeral of one of those killed in the serious crash on the Trakia Motorway is taking place in Straldzha. Forty-seven-year-old Ivan Tanev leaves behind a 16-year-old son, who lost his mother years ago. The boy is now an orphan, and he and his grandmother need financial assistance to be able to move forward.
Today, 16-year-old Tano is saying a final goodbye to his father, who died on that fateful morning. Years ago, a serious accident left the 47-year-old man wheelchair-bound. This did not stop him, and he continued working as a driver to care for his son.
Tonka Marinova, Ivan’s mother: “I found out from the news. And I said: “Oh no, my son is in there.” He was in a wheelchair because he couldn’t walk; he drove using his hands. The first accident was 6–7 years ago in Romania. He wanted to help, so he drove with his hands.”
News of the crash reached Tano at school. He recognized his father’s wrecked car on social media.
Tano, Ivan’s son: “I ran home. I ran and ran, as fast as I could. My grandmother knew that my father had been in an accident, but she didn’t want to tell me. We went to Yambol and met with the police officers. The people made a somewhat sad face at me, and I said: “There’s something I don’t like.”