Bus Driver Arrested in Hungary After Crash That Killed 12 Polish Pilgrims
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A district court in the Hungarian city of Miskolc ruled on Tuesday to remand in custody the driver of a Polish bus that crashed in the early hours of Sunday in northeastern Hungary, Reuters reports. The accident killed 12 people who were returning from the pilgrimage site of Medjugorje in Bosnia, while dozens more were injured.
Investigators believe the driver fell asleep at the wheel. Prosecutors said he "was not in a condition that would allow him to safely operate the vehicle" and was exhausted. His detention was deemed necessary due to the risk that he might attempt to flee or obstruct the investigation. He has not yet given testimony regarding the crash.
What the driver faces
The Miskolc court ordered him held in custody for one month. Under Hungarian law, negligence resulting in a road accident with a large number of fatalities carries a sentence of two to eight years in prison.
In addition to the 12 deaths, ten people suffered severe injuries in the crash, and another 37 sustained minor injuries. All of the victims were residents of the Subcarpathian Voivodeship in southeastern Poland.
On Monday evening, a plane carrying a group of 21 Poles injured in the crash landed in Poland. Five of them were taken directly to hospitals, while the remaining 16 were able to return home, Poland's PAP news agency reported.
Source: seznamzpravy.cz
