The Ministry of Interior has launched a second investigation into the serious incident in Sunny Beach, where a young man, the son of law enforcement officers, ran over five people with an ATV. The investigation is focused on the actions of the police authorities and officials involved in the case. This move by the Ministry of Interior comes after a report was filed by relatives of the victims, who hope that full light will be shed on the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The first investigation, aimed at the police's actions, was initiated by the director of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Interior in Burgas (RDMI-Burgas), Senior Commissioner Vladimir Marinov. Meanwhile, public tension surrounding the incident continues to rise.
The Tragedy in Sunny Beach
The tragedy unfolded on August 14 at the Sunny Beach resort, when pedestrians were mowed down like bowling pins on a sidewalk in front of a local hotel by an ATV driven by Nikola Burgazliev. Among the injured were three children and two women. After the incident, one of the children was transported to the 'Pirogov' hospital in the capital. His grandmother, Zlatka Sokolova, revealed the severe consequences of the collision to bTV.
"Consultant Nikolay Mladenov said that he will need a lot of treatment. His injury is not only to his head. He has five broken ribs", she stated, describing the seriousness of the injuries.
The condition of the 35-year-old mother of the child, who remains in the Burgas hospital, has been described by doctors as an "irreversible condition", which highlights the permanent nature of the injuries she sustained. The press center of the University Multiprofile Hospital for Active Treatment in Burgas announced that a child and a woman injured in the incident have been admitted to the intensive care unit.
The ATV that caused the crash was a rental. The incident raised serious questions about the regulations and control of such vehicles in resort areas.
Public Outrage and Prosecution's Intervention
The day after the crash, the District Prosecutor's Office in Burgas announced that a pre-trial investigation had been initiated. The confirmation by District Prosecutor Maria Markova that the parents of 18-year-old Nikola Burgazliev are Ministry of Interior employees triggered a wave of public outrage. This fact immediately gave rise to suspicions of a possible cover-up and a potential conflict of interest.
Commissioner Marin Dimitrov, director of "Security Police and Traffic Police" at RDMI-Burgas, reacted to these concerns by stating that an internal investigation had begun. Its purpose is to determine whether there was "interference to conceal facts and circumstances" given the parents' positions within the Ministry of Interior's structures.
On August 18, the court in Nessebar set "house arrest" as a pre-trial measure for Burgazliev, who is accused of causing medium bodily harm. However, this decision was met with outrage and led to mass protests in the cities of Burgas, Sofia, and Plovdiv. Public dissatisfaction was so strong that on August 21, acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov demanded the pre-trial investigation from the Burgas Prosecutor's Office to assign the investigation to the National Investigation Service (NIS). This move demonstrates the seriousness with which the higher law enforcement authorities are approaching the case and aims to guarantee the objectivity of the investigation.
Ultimately, on August 22, the District Court in Burgas overturned the initial decision and imposed the most severe pre-trial measure – "detention in custody" – against 18-year-old Nikola Burgazliev. This act by the court sent a clear message to the public that justice will prevail and that no one is above the law.
- Nikola Burgazliev is accused of causing medium bodily harm.
- Three children and two women were injured.
- One of the injured women is in an "irreversible condition".
- The ATV was a rental.
- Nikola Burgazliev's parents are Ministry of Interior employees.