The Yambol District Prosecutor's Office detained for 72 hours and charged the 53-year-old TIR driver who caused the serious accident on the "Trakia" highway, in which a man and two 9-year-old children from the "Slavia" school died, bTV reports.
The driver Encho Dinev was traveling with an empty TIR truck after a course to Burgas. According to his sister Yanka, the reason for the sudden entry into oncoming traffic was a flat tire. “It is a flat front left tire - it is visible. The photos show that the trailer of the truck is bent. "It's very difficult to control a truck that heavy. My brother is not a murderer, he even makes way for an ant, he's that good," she told the television station. According to her, immediately after the collision, Dinev called his wife with the words: "I killed children, I killed children."
Investigators rule out the version of falling asleep at the wheel, but reveal that the driver has 20 previous violations, four of which are serious. Among them is an accident on the "Trakia" highway in 2024, which resulted in only material damage. According to information from the Ministry of Transport, his company has proper documents, but the latest act is for an expired technical inspection. There is no evidence of manipulation of the tachograph of the driven TIR.
Road safety expert Nikolay Kolev expresses doubts about the version of a technical failure and draws attention to the infrastructure. “If this tire had suddenly burst, there should have been traces even of plowed asphalt, a very serious mark from the rim of the truck. The main reason for this serious accident is the poor-quality guardrails. Such guardrails should not be installed on highways“, Kolev is categorical.
The 49-year-old wife of coach Ivan Terziyski remains in critical condition. She was transported by medical helicopter from Yambol to the University Multi-profile Hospital for Active Treatment “St. George“ in Plovdiv.
“A 49-year-old woman with a severe form of polytraumatic disease and a danger to her life was just brought in by medical helicopter. The patient will be admitted to the anesthesiology and intensive care clinic“, informed Prof. Dr. Ivan Dechev, deputy director of medical activities at the medical facility. Coach Terziyski is also hospitalized, but his condition is stable.
The accident raised serious questions about the condition of the road. According to information from the television, the safety equipment in the section has not been restored 24 hours after the accident, which creates an additional risk for passing cars.
Quoted by bTV, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev calls on the “Road Infrastructure“ Agency, the regional road departments and the municipalities for immediate inspections. “In this accident on the “Trakia“ "There are disturbing circumstances - for an empty truck to pass easily through the barriers, for me it is unacceptable, so the owners of the road must wake up. We will call them with warning letters. If there is no reaction, the prosecutor's office will be notified for criminal inaction," the minister stated.