Mostarska interchange: three cars and a bus collide, two injured
Traffic police are at the scene at the Mostarska interchange exit; the injured were rushed to the Emergency Centre, a source says.
Three passenger cars and a bus collided on May 27 at the exit of the Mostarska interchange in Belgrade, in the direction of the city centre. Two of those involved were taken to the Emergency Centre with minor to moderately serious injuries.
Officers from the Belgrade City Police Administration closed one lane for about two hours to conduct the scene inspection. The vehicles were removed by roadside-assistance teams. Traffic returned to normal flow around noon.
What the prosecutor’s office has ordered
The Belgrade Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office is leading the pre-investigation. According to a source close to the case, the office has ordered forensic examinations:
- technical condition of each of the three passenger cars
- technical condition of the bus
- tachograph data from the bus
- statements from those involved, taken at police premises
The reviews will be carried out at the Centre for Traffic-Technical Expertise within statutory deadlines.
The criminal offence of aggravated endangerment of public traffic under Article 297 of the Criminal Code carries a sentence of six months to twelve years. The classification depends on the consequences. If injuries are classed as minor bodily harm, the case may be prosecuted as a misdemeanour under the Road Safety Act.
Chain braking as the suspected cause
According to initial unofficial accounts, the collision was triggered by the sudden braking of one of the passenger cars. The other two ran into the chain. The bus then struck the last car in line.
These accounts will be subject to forensic review. Official confirmation depends on the report from the Centre for Expertise.
GSP bus on Line 95
The GSP, Belgrade’s public transport operator, said the bus was running Line 95 on a regular shift. By initial accounts it was no more than half full. Passengers were not injured but were questioned as citizens with information about the case.
The Traffic Safety Committee, in a general comment on interchange crashes, notes that vehicle spacing and matching speed to entry-exit lanes are the key preventive measures. The Mostarska interchange, one of Belgrade’s busiest roadways, recorded several similar incidents last year.
Next steps
The next procedural step is the preparation of the traffic-police report, including the vehicle technical-condition findings and witness statements. The prosecutor’s office has not announced when a procedural classification can be expected.
What will the technical examination of the vehicles show? Follow our coverage of traffic investigations on the portal.
