Burgas Court Sentences Driver to Four Years and Eight Months in Prison Over Fatal Pedestrian Crossing Crash

The District Court in Burgas has sentenced to four years and eight months in prison the driver who caused a serious road accident at a pedestrian crossing in the city centre in May last year. A 71-year-old woman was killed in the crash, while an 11-year-old girl suffered serious injuries.

According to the prosecution, on 31 May 2025 the defendant was driving his car along Demokratsia Boulevard. After receiving a green traffic light, he set off but failed to continuously monitor the road situation. He was travelling at 57 km/h in an area with a speed limit of 50 km/h and, despite having a clear view of the pedestrian crossing, he did not reduce his speed or stop to allow the pedestrians to cross.

As a result, the vehicle struck two pedestrians. The elderly woman died later the same day in hospital, while the child sustained serious injuries.

The prosecution said the victims had been crossing on a red pedestrian signal, but this did not relieve the driver of his obligation to exercise caution and prevent the accident when it was possible to do so.

The sentence was issued under the expedited trial procedure. The ruling is not final and may be appealed before the Burgas Court of Appeal.