Investigation Underway Into Fatal Crash on Maritsa Motorway, Which Claimed the Lives of Three People, Including a Child

A serious crash on Maritsa Motorway has claimed three lives, including that of a child, while five other people were injured. The accident occurred shortly before 20:00 last night, July 26, on the section between Haskovo and Harmanli, where two cars carrying a total of nine Iraqi nationals collided. They were travelling from Germany to their home country.

Four of the injured have been admitted to hospital in Haskovo – three children aged 5, 7 and 10, and a woman. Their condition is stable and there is no danger to their lives. The most seriously injured person is a 15-year-old girl, who was transported to Plovdiv during the night.

It became clear today that one of the drivers, who was unharmed, has been detained. His alcohol and drug tests were negative. The two vehicles were not travelling one behind the other, as initially believed, but alongside each other. The passengers were relatives from Iraq.

Upon impact, the cars were literally thrown off, broke through the crash barrier and overturned into a ditch. One of the vehicles caught fire.

Nikolay Kamenov, Traffic Police Department, Haskovo Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior:

"One of the vehicles lost control, which led to a road traffic accident. Both vehicles left the motorway lanes, broke through the crash barrier, entered a ditch and hit a tree. The exact mechanism of the accident has not yet been fully established. According to initial information, the vehicles were most likely travelling parallel to each other."

Six people remain in hospital after the fatal crash on the Maritsa Motorway

Dr Ivan Ivanov, Deputy Director of Haskovo Hospital:

"Four people have been hospitalised at Haskovo Hospital – one woman and three children. The most seriously injured girl is in Plovdiv, in the neurosurgery department of University Hospital ‘St George’."

Throughout July, Maritsa Motorway has seen heavy traffic heading towards Turkey. Many of the travellers are people working in Western Europe who are returning towards Asia. Authorities are urging drivers to exercise increased caution, as some vehicles are travelling at very high speeds and often in convoys.