Tragedy on the Trakia Motorway: Child soccer players killed in severe accident

Fatal collision on the Trakia motorway

A severe accident between a truck and a car on the Trakia motorway has ended in tragedy – three people died, including two 9-year-old boys who were players from the Slavia Academy. A man and a woman were also in the car and were injured.

"For an empty freight truck to go through the guardrails without any issue is unacceptable to me," said Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev.

The investigation currently shows no technical malfunctions with the truck or a blown tire. The driver has been detained for 72 hours, with the theory of falling asleep at the wheel being ruled out.

A wave of empathy and urgent measures

In front of the Aleksandar Shalamanov Stadium in Sofia, dozens of citizens laid flowers and left messages in memory of the children who died. The Bulgarian Football Union and various clubs expressed their condolences, and a charity match is being considered to support the affected families.

A series of incidents involving children on the road

Unfortunately, the day was marked by other tragedies as well:

• Mezdra: A 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy died in a collision between a scooter and a car.
• Razgrad: A 20-year-old driver caused a pile-up at an intersection.
• Malo Buchino: A truck broke through a guardrail, injuring a car driver.

Institutions are once again putting the issue of road safety and the reinforcement of guardrails on high-risk sections back on the agenda.