New Charge for Intentional Act Committed Under the Influence of Drugs
A new, more serious charge has been brought against Nikola Burgazliev, the ATV driver who ran over five people in Sunny Beach, announced the prosecutor's office and investigation in Burgas. The dramatic incident, which shook the public and raised questions about safety in resorts, is now the subject of a more in-depth investigation, which could lead to a sentence of 13 to 20 years in prison or even life imprisonment.
On Tuesday, at a joint briefing, the head of the District Prosecutor's Office-Burgas, Georgi Chinev, clarified the new legal status of the case. According to the indictment, the act was committed intentionally, albeit with "eventual intent", and led to the death of one person and numerous bodily injuries to others. Specifically, Nikola Burgazliev is charged with
"a crime committed intentionally, under the conditions of eventual intent, causing the death of one person and bodily harm to more than one. The act was committed under the influence of drugs, the qualification includes a particularly serious case".This new circumstance significantly aggravates the defendant's guilt and reflects the seriousness with which the judiciary is handling the case. According to Bulgarian law, this charge carries serious sanctions that can lead to a long stay behind bars.
Details of the Investigation and Refuted Speculations
In the course of the investigation, two inspections of the fatal ATV were carried out - one in Burgas and one in Sofia. However, a key auto-technical expertise has not yet been completed, and it is expected to provide additional clarity on the causes and circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
At the briefing, prosecutor Chinev also addressed the speculations circulating in the media about bureaucratic obstacles that prevented the victim's relatives from receiving her body.
"I would like to dispel the speculations that have appeared in the media that the relatives of the victim, I mean Hristina, have encountered bureaucratic obstacles in connection with receiving the body. I think they themselves have refuted this information",the prosecutor said, emphasizing that the claims are untrue. He added that the family of 35-year-old Hristina, who lost her life in the incident, has refuted this information.
This incident shook not only the local community but the whole country, putting on the agenda the issues of road safety and driver responsibility. The new charges reflect the judicial system's determination to investigate the case thoroughly and seek justice for the victims of the tragedy.