September 23rd turned out to be one of the hardest days for Bulgarian roads. In just two of the most serious accidents of the day, a total of five people died - three victims were killed in the serious collision near Maglizh, and two others died in an accident in the Kotla Balkan.
Amid the tragic incidents, there are also victims who remain under medical observation.
Three victims near Maglizh
The worst accident of the day occurred shortly after 11:00 on the road between Stara Zagora and Kazanlak, in the area of the junction for Maglizh and the village of Tulovo.
Two cars collided. Three people died - the two drivers and an 84-year-old woman traveling in one of the cars.
According to information from the scene, the 40-year-old driver of one of the cars entered oncoming traffic. According to witnesses, a conflict had occurred between him and his father before the accident.
The father was removed from the car and subsequently hospitalized in Stara Zagora.
According to the latest available data, his life is out of danger.
The investigation into the case continues under the supervision of the Stara Zagora District Prosecutor's Office.
Two victims in the Kotla Balkan
Just hours later, another serious accident claimed the lives of two people.
The accident occurred on the Kotel - Ticha road, in the area of the exit from Kotel in the direction of Omurtag. The report was filed shortly after 12:40 p.m.
According to initial data, two cars collided head-on.
The deceased are a man and a woman from the nearby village of Malko Selo. They were traveling in one of the cars and died at the scene.
Two other people were injured.
One of the injured - a woman - was transported by medical helicopter to a hospital due to the severity of her condition. The other victim was trapped in the car and a rescue operation was required to free him.
Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated in the case.
A difficult day on the Podbalkanski road
Yesterday, another serious incident was recorded on the Podbalkanski road.
A 21-year-old driver crashed his car into a bus carrying tourists in the area of the “Strajata“ pass.
Only the young driver was injured in the collision. He was transported to a Plovdiv hospital for examination.
The alcohol tests of the driver of the car and the bus driver were negative.
According to preliminary data, the cause of the accident was the driver's distracted attention.
What does the balance look like
In the two most serious accidents on September 23 alone, five people died.
The tragic balance comes against the backdrop of the constant flow of serious road accidents in the country.
According to data from the Ministry of Interior, published on the morning of September 23, 15 serious accidents occurred in Bulgaria in the previous 24 hours, with 18 injured, but no fatalities. Since the beginning of September until this statistic, 26 road fatalities have occurred, and the injured – 617.
Since the beginning of the year, the number of deaths in road accidents has been 339, and the number of injured is 6,194.
However, these data refer to the previous 24 hours and do not include the accidents that occurred later on September 23.
The causes are still being clarified
In the serious incidents from yesterday, investigations are continuing.
In the accident near Maglizh, the circumstances that led to entering the oncoming lane are being examined.
The cause of the head-on collision between the two cars is being clarified near Kotel. The accident occurred on a section that was wet due to rain at the time of the incident.
In any case, the final conclusions about the causes will be made after the completion of the inspections and investigations.
The victims remain in focus
The most current information about the victims shows a different picture.
The father of the 40-year-old driver in the accident near Maglizh is out of danger.
In the incident near Kotel, one woman was transported by medical helicopter, and a second victim was freed from the crushed car by rescue teams.
In the accident with the tourist bus near the “Strazhat“ the injured 21-year-old driver was taken to hospital for examination.
Meanwhile, investigations into the most serious accidents continue.
Five people died in just two of the serious accidents on September 23. The day once again brought to the forefront the issue of safety on Bulgarian roads and the reasons that turn a mistake behind the wheel into a tragedy.
Sources: Ministry of Interior, BTA, RIA, ODMVR – Haskovo