Nine People Injured After Bus Overturned Near the Village of Asen

Nine people were injured in a crash after a bus left the road and overturned near the village of Asen in Pavel Banya municipality, Central Bulgaria. The passengers were travelling to their workplaces in Kazanlak when the vehicle suddenly overturned.

The causes of the incident are being investigated.

A road accident occurred yesterday at around 2pm on the road branching off main road 106 and leading to the village of Asen. The bus left the roadway and overturned onto its right side. Chief Inspector Anton Ivanov, head of the Public Order Police sector at the Kazanlak District Police Department, said this on The Day Begins.

“Nine passengers were travelling on the bus in addition to the driver. Passengers and the driver were injured in the incident. The driver and passengers were examined. Four of them sustained various lacerations and contusions, with some also suffering concussion. They have been admitted to a medical facility for observation.”

A breathalyser test at the scene detected a small amount of alcohol. The device recorded 0.12 parts per thousand, below the legal limit of 0.5 parts per thousand. Pre-trial proceedings have been opened at the Kazanlak District Police Department.

The investigation is at a very early stage and the causes of the crash have yet to be established. Initial indications are that the most likely cause was driver distraction. The speed at which the bus was travelling cannot yet be established.

“The road on which the bus was travelling is wide enough, but it has a series of right- and left-hand bends and turns. According to the investigators’ observations, the speed was probably not high.”

People spoken to at the scene, however, said that the bus had been travelling at high speed. Others suggested that the driver had been drinking, but this could not be confirmed by eyewitnesses. One of the possible lines of inquiry is whether the driver was distracted, including by using a mobile phone.

A campaign is currently underway to curb the use of mobile phones by drivers while operating a vehicle. According to Inspector Ivanov, statistics on reported violations show that the rules are not being followed sufficiently. Among the violations are not only the use of mobile devices while driving, but also failure to wear seat belts, improper use of child safety seats, and other violations that directly contribute to traffic injuries.

An operation is currently under way to curb the use of mobile phones by drivers while driving. According to Inspector Ivanov, statistics on recorded offences show that the rules are not being followed sufficiently. The violations include not only the use of mobile devices while driving, but also failure to wear seat belts, improper use of child seats and other offences that have a direct impact on road traffic injuries.

“Even a momentary distraction on the part of the driver can sometimes lead to irreversible consequences,” Inspector Ivanov said.

He called on all road users to obey the law and act responsibly on the road, regardless of their role in road traffic.

The bus driver is 70 years old and has 50 years of driving experience. He successfully passed his driving test in 1976. According to Inspector Ivanov, the driver has a total of 20 recorded traffic offences – 12 fines and eight official reports.

Initial indications are that the bus was roadworthy and had passed its technical inspection. At present, four of those injured have been admitted for medical observation at a hospital in Kazanlak and are in a stable condition. The causes and circumstances surrounding the crash will be established as part of the pre-trial proceedings.