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The Romanian driver detained after the accident in Bulgaria that left 11 people dead will be released. Prosecutors will not charge him

Cristiana Dida

11 November 2026, 14:38

Diaspora

Carambol Bulgaria / FOTO: HANDOUT SVOBODEN GLAS MIHAIL DINEV AFP Profimedia

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The Romanian truck driver detained after the chain-reaction accident that occurred on Tuesday, November 10, on Bulgaria’s Trakia Motorway will be released, Bulgarian prosecutors announced. The 44-year-old man will not be charged, but he will be questioned once more before leaving detention.

The accident occurred near the town of Yambol, between the Zimnița and Kabile interchanges, amid dense fog. The tragedy left 11 people dead and more than 70 injured, while 86 vehicles were involved in the two chain-reaction accidents: 63 traveling toward Burgas and 23 traveling toward Sofia.

During questioning, the Romanian driver told investigators that he was traveling in the first lane and slowed down significantly for safety reasons. According to prosecutors, a minibus full of passengers may have struck him from behind, triggering the pileup. The driver stated that he did not brake and that the truck had no technical problems.

The investigation continues to establish the exact causes of the tragedy. The Bulgarian authorities are awaiting the results of the technical examinations and are checking how the successive collisions occurred.

Context: The investigation into the chain-reaction accidents on Trakia included repeated interrogations and official condolences

In the first days after the tragedy, the Romanian driver was detained by the Bulgarian authorities and was initially questioned, with the authorities set to question him again in the presence of an interpreter. The police also ordered an additional examination of the heavy truck involved, while the National Investigation Service was to request further technical checks to determine how the first impact occurred and whether the vehicle or the driver's maneuvers contributed to triggering the pileup.

Meanwhile, the tragedy was accompanied by messages of solidarity: Patriarch Daniel conveyed condolences to Patriarch Daniil of Bulgaria, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bucharest confirmed that a Romanian citizen was among the injured, with the Romanian Embassy in Sofia in contact with his family.