The driver of the bus that crashed through safety barriers and fell off an overpass in Warsaw has been detained. The man is being hospitalised along with 3 other people injured in the accident. Investigators say that toxicological test will be a crucial piece of evidence.
"We're investigating a possible causing of a road traffic disaster," said Mirosław Chyr, the spokesperson for The Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Warsaw. She added that the prosecutors had already examined the wrecked bus, the crash site, as well as the body of the 70-year-old woman who died in the accident.
Asked if she could confirm or deny unofficial information alleging that the driver might have been under the influence of amphetamine, Chyr said: "We're waiting for toxicological test results". "The (toxicological) opinion will be a crucial piece of evidence and further stages of the inquiry will depend on it," she explained.
According to the prosecutor's office, four persons were still being hospitalised, including the driver. One of those persons was in critical condition.
"The man has been detained, but not yet questioned," prosecutor Chyr said, referring to the bus driver.
Karolina Gałecka, the city hall spokesperson, said that there was no law allowing subjecting bus drivers to drug tests.
"Practically every bus, including the one that crashed yesterday, is fitted with automatic alcohol testing system. Drivers under the influence would not be able to start the engine," she added.
The tragic accident happened between noon and 1pm on the S8 road at the border where two Warsaw districts of Bielany and Żoliborz meet. The vehicle smashed through safety barriers and fell off the overpass. Front half of the bus fell down, while the back half hanged on the road above. Warsaw city hall said 22 people were injured in the crash, 17 of which were taken to hospitals. One person died. Initial findings on Thursday suggested the bus driver might have fainted.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, tvnwarszawa.pl