The truck driver involved in the severe accident on the "Trakia" motorway near Yambol, which killed a man and two 9-year-old boys, remains in custody by decision of the court. The magistrates determined that, at this moment, there are grounds to continue the "remand in custody" preventive measure, given the grave consequences of the incident and the ongoing investigation.
Upon leaving the courtroom, the driver made a brief statement to the media, in which he expressed his condolences to the relatives of the deceased and thanked the people who rushed to help immediately after the impact.
"I am most sincerely sorry. My deepest condolences to the families of the victims. This is a huge tragedy," he stated.
Gratitude to the young people who saved the victims
The driver paid special attention to the young men and women who reacted immediately after the crash and helped pull the victims out of the vehicles.
"I want to thank those boys and girls who helped pull the victims out. To me, they are heroes. While a hundred people watched, they were the only ones who helped us," he said.
According to him, their actions on the scene were decisive in providing timely assistance and show that in critical moments, civic initiative can save human lives.
Warning to drivers for the summer season
In his statement, the driver also issued a clear warning to his professional driver colleagues regarding summer road conditions.
"I ask my colleagues to be extremely careful. During the summer, tires start bursting. I relied on the guardrail to stop me, but it turned out to be the opposite – it deflected the truck in another direction. Do not rely on the guardrail," he urged.
His comments draw attention to the risk of technical failures during high temperatures and the danger of relying entirely on road safety facilities instead of one's own judgment and control over the vehicle.
How the "Trakia" crash happened
The incident occurred on June 24 on the "Trakia" motorway. According to initial investigation data, the truck driver lost control of the heavy vehicle, crossed the median guardrail, and entered the oncoming traffic lane.
There, he struck a passenger car with five people, which was traveling in the direction of Burgas. The impact was extremely strong and led to dire consequences for those traveling in the car.
Heavy human toll
The driver of the passenger car and two 9-year-old children who were traveling with him died at the scene. The other two passengers were rushed to the hospital with severe injuries – a "49-year-old woman" and her husband, a "46-year-old coach" at the "Slavia" football club academy.
The serious incident has once again brought to the forefront the topics of motorway safety, the technical roadworthiness of heavy goods vehicles, and the need for increased caution from all road users, especially during the summer months when traffic toward the sea is most intense.