The lawyers of the truck driver, who is believed to have caused the horrible bus crash near the town of Byala that took 18 lives in December, demanded the court to acquit him.

"I ask for the court not to send me to prison," were driver Sinan Aliev's last words before the last hearing on Wednesday, when the judge has to pronounce the sentence.

On the Monday hearing Aliev said he tried to do everything he could to prevent the crash of his truck into the commuter bus.

Aliev's lawyers claim the crash is not a grave case despite the many victims and if the truck drivers is sentenced, he should get from three to ten years on probation as this is his first offence.

Experts on the case presented the latest expertise of the bridge on the Monday hearing, from which the bus fell, which shows the traffic facility was build in compliance with all the necessary safety requirements.

At last week's hearing on the case Aliev accused the bus driver of the crash, claiming he did not obey the traffic law. Meanwhile victims' families demanded the harshest sentence for Sinan Aliev.

A total of 18 people were killed on December 7 of 2006, when Aliev's truck hit a bus sending it off the Byala bridge.

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