Driving on Bulgarian roads can turn into an absurd nightmare, in which you go from being the victim to being the one being punished. This was told on Nova TV by Irena Dzhambazova, who was fined 200 leva after falling into a huge, unmarked hole in the road and bursting her car tire.
The incident happened at night, around 1:30 a.m., on the road between the villages of Osina and Satovcha, in the Dospat region. Ms. Dzhambazova was traveling with her two children and a friend, returning from Greece.
„We were driving at a reasonable speed. A car was coming towards us and as you can see, the hole is in the trajectory of the bend, so there was no way we could avoid the impact“, says the victim. In order to receive compensation from her insurer, she called the police to draw up a report on the damages.
However, the police team that arrived on the scene informed her that in order to issue a report for a traffic accident, a report must be drawn up. Thus, in addition to a flat tire and the stress experienced, Irena Dzhambazova also received a fine of 200 leva for “failing to comply with the traffic conditions“.
“I ask how I can comply, since it is clear that there is no signaling on the road for a dangerous section or holes in the road. Absolutely nothing“, commented Ms. Dzhambazova. She filmed a video the next day, which clearly shows that the hole is large and deep, and for kilometers before it there are no warning signs of any kind.
“The other option was to hit the car or jump into the potatoes“, she also says.
The absurdity becomes complete when the police themselves share with her that incidents at this place are a daily occurrence. “They shared with us that similar incidents happen there all the time. The night before, another car had four flat tires. They also issued a ticket to it and that was the law“, says Ms. Dzhambazova.
She is categorical that she will not remain silent about the injustice and has already filed a report with the “Road Infrastructure“ Agency (API) and the responsible ministries. “Why do we always wait for death to take action?“, asks the victim.