Yambol District Prosecutor Doichin Doychev said on the programme “Offensive with Lyubo Ognyanov” that the investigation into the serious chain collision on the Trakia Motorway near Yambol has still not established who caused the initial impact. Thirteen people died in the accident, and no charges have currently been brought against a specific person.
“It is still not possible to make a well-founded assumption or conclusion about who caused the crash,” Doichin Doychev said. According to him, the precise role of each of the drivers involved in the chain collision must be clarified, as well as how they reacted to the sudden reduction in visibility caused by the dense fog.
The actions of the institutions are also being examined
The investigation is not limited solely to the drivers’ behaviour. It is being examined whether there had been warnings about the fog before the crash, when they had been received and how the responsible institutions had responded. Data has been requested from the Road Infrastructure Agency, the National Toll Administration and the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, as well as recordings from the toll cameras and information about traffic in the area.
The condition of the road and the organisation of traffic are also being clarified separately. Samples have been taken from the road surface for a construction and technical examination. “It is being examined whether the road surface and the organisation of traffic played a role in the occurrence of the crash,” the prosecutor said.
The Romanian driver may have left the country
The Romanian driver of the heavy goods vehicle was questioned twice. Since no charges had been brought against him, he had not been banned from leaving Bulgaria. Doichin Doychev allowed for the possibility that the driver may no longer be in the country. If sufficient evidence is gathered of his involvement in a crime, a European Investigation Order and an arrest warrant may be issued.
Investigators have seized the tachographs of the lorries. Their data should show the speed of travel, the time spent behind the wheel and compliance with mandatory rest periods. The technical condition of the vehicles, their cargoes and the actions of the other participants in the crash are also being examined.
Expert examinations will clarify the mechanics of the collision
Forensic medical examinations have been ordered for the deceased, and examinations of the injured are also forthcoming. The vehicle-technical examination will be of primary importance in establishing the causes and sequence of the impacts.
The prosecution aims to gather the necessary evidence within the initial three-month period of the investigation. Until the expert examinations and analysis of the collected data are completed, no suspect has been officially named in connection with the crash.