A fatal road accident claimed the life of a 9-year-old child late at night on the Republika Pass, after a collision between a passenger car and a heavy truck. The incident occurred shortly before midnight near the village of Mishemorkov Han, police in Veliko Tarnovo confirmed.

According to preliminary information, the truck was descending the northern slope of the pass when its trailer skidded, crossed into the opposite lane and struck a car carrying a family. Inside the vehicle were a man, a woman and their 9-year-old child. The child was transported in critical condition but died on the way to hospital. The father sustained serious injuries, including fractures to both legs, while the mother’s condition is stable and she did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

After the collision, the truck driver attempted to leave the scene, according to reports. He was later detained by the police. Tests for alcohol and drugs came back negative. The driver is a Turkish citizen. Due to the crash and the investigation, traffic on the Republika Pass was temporarily suspended.

The fatal accident came amid a series of serious road incidents across the country. On the Burgas–Malko Tarnovo road near the village of Marinka, two people lost their lives after a car driven by a 41-year-old local resident entered the oncoming lane and collided head-on with another vehicle driven by a 32-year-old woman from Burgas. The driver and a 52-year-old passenger in his car died at the scene, while the woman was taken to hospital.

In another incident near the junction for the Ruse district of Obraztsov Chiflik, a collision between two cars left six people injured, all of whom were transported to hospital for treatment.