Investigators now know who the driver of the Hungarian truck was, BNT reported. He died in the head-on crash with another truck near the village of Maslarevo. His name and age have not been released.

The crash happened overnight yesterday, 28 October. At 2:38am, the 112 emergency line got a call about two burning trucks on the Ruse–Sofia road. Both drivers died, and a bus ran into the burning vehicles.

Where it began: Two drivers die as lorries collide near Veliko Tarnovo, bus also hit

A DNA test ordered by the District Prosecutor's Office in Veliko Tarnovo, and the help from abroad that it has requested, will show who was driving the Hungarian truck.

Prosecution spokesman Ilian Blagoev said investigators are checking all the main theories and have no final conclusion on the cause yet. There are five: the driver fell asleep, a sudden health problem, a technical fault, tiredness and speeding. Investigators are also checking the state of the road at the time of the crash. They still have to establish how the first impact happened and what part each factor played.

One of the trucks had an expired technical inspection, and the haulage company is being checked.

There were 38 passengers on the bus, BNT reported. All got out alive and unhurt thanks to the quick reaction of its drivers. Rosen Rusanov, mayor of Polski Trambesh, told BNT that passengers smashed the side windows to escape the burning bus.

The regional road authority in Veliko Tarnovo says the stretch of road is in good condition. The asphalt was repaired in 2024, new road markings were laid recently, and there are no potholes, ruts or other major bumps.

Even so, the authority will draw up a plan for new traffic arrangements on the road, engineer Yordan Mateev said. It includes a speed limit and rumble strips across the road.