Bulgarian Court Finds Agency for Road Infrastructure Partly Liable in ‘Struma‘ Motorway Tragedy
In a significant ruling, the Pernik Regional Court has found that the Bulgarian Road Infrastructure Agency (API) bears partial responsibility for the catastrophic crash on the ‘Struma’ motorway, which claimed the lives of 45 people from North Macedonia. The court decision was reported by BTA news agency.
API Liable for 10% of Damages
The court ruled that API is responsible for 10% of the damages incurred and should be sentenced to pay a compensation of BGN 20,000 (approximately USD 11,000) to each plaintiff for non-material damages. The court acknowledged that the process section was not issued with an Act 16 for the motorway, classifying it as a temporary road, and it was opened to traffic in 2007 at the Act 15 stage.
Excessive Speed and Poor Design Cited
The court noted that the bus driver was speeding, traveling at 106 km/h in a section where the maximum allowed speed was 120 km/h. Furthermore, the court highlighted that the design of the road did not meet its geometric characteristics, including a bank angle designed for 90 km/h but lacking signs to indicate this speed restriction.
Bus Crash Details
The tragic crash occurred around 2 AM on November 23, 2021, on the 31st kilometer of the ‘Struma’ motorway, near the village of Bosnek. The tourist bus, carrying 52 people and coming from Turkey, crashed into a guardrail, caught fire, and was completely destroyed. The bus had stopped at a service station near Sofia before the fatal crash.
In the accident, 45 people lost their lives, while seven were injured. All victims were foreign nationals, and the bus was traveling towards North Macedonia. Among the deceased were children.
