Truck driver detained after fatal Trakia highway crash kills two Slavia school children

A 53‑year‑old truck driver (E.D.) was arrested and charged with negligent homicide after his empty semi‑tractor‑trailer entered the opposite lane of the Trakia highway near Zimnica, colliding with a passenger car. The crash killed two 9‑year‑old children from the Slavia football school and their father; a coach and his wife were seriously injured.

The driver is being held for 72 hours, with prosecutors seeking a permanent arrest. Preliminary investigations found no excessive speed and negative alcohol/drug tests, but the driver has a record of 20 prior traffic violations. Prosecutors are examining whether a punctured front‑left tyre caused loss of control and why the road‑side safety barriers (mantinels) failed to stop the vehicle. A triple technical examination will assess the tyre, the barriers and the truck’s condition.

Emergency services responded quickly, deploying police, fire and medical units, and a medical helicopter later evacuated the injured coach’s wife to a hospital in Plovdiv. Experts have criticised the condition of the highway safety infrastructure and called for a review of barrier standards.