Four dead near Pleven: driver, 20, remains in pretrial detention
A preliminary expert report says the car was traveling at over 170 km/h where the limit is 70. Pleven District Court granted the prosecution's request.
Symbolic image · Photo: Powerfox / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped and resized)
Pleven District Court has ordered a 20-year-old driver held in pretrial detention over a crash on the road between Pleven and the village of Yasen on the evening of Oct. 8 that killed four people. The man was detained for 72 hours immediately after being discharged from hospital, where he had long been treated for his injuries. Prosecutors classify the case as "particularly grave," an offense that carries 15 to 20 years in prison.
A preliminary technical report says the car was traveling at more than 170 km/h on a stretch with a 70 km/h limit. The section is uneven, unmarked and has consecutive bends. The defense sought house arrest, citing the defendant's age, clean record, studies and health.
The court found a real risk of flight and said his health did not preclude detention as long as he receives medical care. The ruling can be appealed within three days, in which case the Court of Appeal in Veliko Tarnovo would hear it on Nov. 5. The defendant is presumed innocent.