Trakia Motorway Pile-Ups: Romanian Lorry Driver Questioned; He Did Not Stop, but Slowed Down and Felt an Impact, Prosecutors Say

The second questioning of the driver of the Romanian lorry involved in the crash ended just minutes ago. Speaking to 'More of the Day', Yambol District Prosecutor Doychin Doychev said that a key issue in the investigation had been whether the lorry had stopped and, if so, why.

Doychin Doychev, Yambol District Prosecutor: “What I can say following the second questioning of the driver is that the important thing for the investigation was to establish whether, according to his account, the lorry had stopped and, if it had, what had made this necessary. His account is that he did not stop moving, but significantly reduced his speed because of the dense fog, which had restricted his visibility. He says that at one point he felt an impact on the lorry. He stopped and then saw that the bus had crashed into it. We know that the bus was involved in the road traffic accident.”

• Four people remain in serious condition following the crash on Trakia Motorway

Asked whether the haulage company had provided information about a broken-down vehicle on the road which, according to its claims, had forced the lorry driver to make sudden manoeuvres, the prosecutor said:

“We have no such information. The driver himself makes no mention of any such circumstances in his account. He does not say that there was another vehicle in front of him which forced him to manoeuvre or possibly stop.”

• The prosecutor’s office will not press charges against the Romanian truck driver following the accident on the Trakia Motorway

Investigators have requested all the relevant documentation from the Road Infrastructure Agency concerning the toll cameras in the area of the crash. The aim is to establish how much of the road section falls within their coverage and whether any footage is available.

Doychin Doychev, Yambol District Prosecutor: “That is what we are establishing first. The investigation team has requested all the documentation from the Road Infrastructure Agency concerning the toll cameras, in order to establish which part of the road section they cover and whether there is any footage. This has also been requested.”

During the initial inspections, investigators established that those who died were among the people involved in the crash whose vehicles were located approximately from the sixth or seventh vehicle onwards in the sequence of colliding vehicles.

“What was established during the initial inspections is that the fatalities began perhaps around the sixth, seventh or eighth vehicle in the sequence, if we can number them in that way in this chain-reaction crash,” Doychev said.

According to him, the initial findings point to severely reduced visibility due to dense fog, combined with differences in the speeds at which the vehicles were travelling, as the main contributing factors.

“In broad terms, according to the initial findings, the mechanism was precisely the reduced visibility, with vehicles suddenly entering a section where visibility was extremely poor because of the dense fog. Some vehicles reduced their speed, while others were travelling at the same time at higher speeds that were inappropriate for the conditions. This led to the chain-reaction crash,” the district prosecutor explained.

Charges can only be brought once all the evidence gathered has been organised and analysed. The investigation is extensive: more than 50 witnesses have been questioned so far, 20 vehicles have been seized as physical evidence, and six inspections have been carried out.

Doychin Doychev, Yambol District Prosecutor: “Charges can only be expected once, first of all, the entire body of evidence has been organised. It is enormous: more than 50 witnesses, 20 vehicles seized as physical evidence, six inspections, documentation requested from the Road Infrastructure Agency, and samples taken from the road surface. Only after this evidence has been analysed and a road traffic accident technical assessment has been commissioned will it be possible to speak specifically and definitively about how the crash occurred, as well as the responsibility and actions of each person involved, and whether these establish their guilt.”

He declined to give a specific timeframe for the completion of the technical assessment, as this depends on the experts. However, he stressed that the investigators aim to have it completed as soon as possible.

“The most important thing at this stage is for all the evidence gathered to be organised and made available to the experts, so that they can produce a thorough assessment as quickly as possible. Ultimately, this will provide answers to all the questions,” the prosecutor said.

The investigation will also examine any potential liability on the part of officials from the Road Infrastructure Agency, as well as those responsible for repairing and maintaining the road section. Samples have already been taken from the road surface, and the agency has been asked to provide documentation concerning the road's commissioning and the repair work carried out.

Doychin Doychev, Yambol District Prosecutor: “These are also questions that will be clarified in the course of the investigation. As I said, samples have been taken from the road surface, and documentation has been requested from the Road Infrastructure Agency concerning the road's commissioning and the repairs carried out. On this basis, the relevant technical assessment will be commissioned and, in the light of all the findings, if any officials are found to bear responsibility, charges will be brought.”

In addition to the six inspections already carried out and the questioning of more than 50 witnesses, further investigative and procedural steps are planned. Some witnesses will be questioned again. Statements are also expected from people who are currently unable to be questioned because of the injuries they sustained. The Yambol District Prosecutor described the case as unprecedented and acknowledged that he had never worked on such a serious investigation before.

Photos: BNT

“It can indeed be described as unprecedented. We have never worked on a more serious case. This is a major challenge for us, but I have no doubt that, given the professionalism of our colleagues in the police and the investigative team from the National Investigation Service, working under the direction of the prosecution service, we will ultimately conduct a thorough investigation that will answer all the questions,” Doychin Doychev said.

Asked whether the families of those killed and seriously injured would receive justice, the prosecutor was unequivocal:

“I can assure you that they will.”