Drunk Driver Hits Car in Munjino Brdo Tunnel, Four Injured

An SUV driver struck the car in front of him inside the Munjino Brdo tunnel on the Milos Veliki motorway on the evening of June 21. Four people were injured in the collision. The crash occurred on the section between Cacak and Pozega, in a tunnel that is part of the new motorway route.

According to initial information, the SUV was travelling toward Pozega when it hit the vehicle ahead of it. The force of the impact reached the occupants of both cars. Emergency services and police reached the scene shortly after the call came in.

A breath test on the SUV driver showed that he was under the influence of alcohol. The exact blood alcohol level will be confirmed after further testing, and for now the driver is being treated as a suspect. No guilt has been established by a final court ruling, and any liability will be decided by the competent prosecutor’s office.

Why are tunnels especially risky for crashes like this?

A tunnel changes driving conditions in ways many drivers underestimate. Lighting shifts abruptly, the field of vision narrows, and there is almost no room to swerve around an obstacle. Add alcohol, and reactions slow down more than the driver realises, while judgement of distance breaks down.

In an enclosed space, a crash also has knock-on effects. One damaged vehicle blocks a lane, and the cars behind it stay trapped in the tube while crews work. That is why investigations like this are carried out more carefully, and take longer, than on an open road.

The right tunnel tube was closed to traffic for about two hours, the time the investigation lasted. Traffic was diverted during that period, and vehicles already caught in the queue had to wait for the scene to be cleared. Normal traffic resumed once the investigation was complete.

The Milos Veliki motorway, where the Munjino Brdo tunnel sits, is one of the busiest stretches in western Serbia. The higher speeds it allows also mean more severe consequences when a crash happens, especially with an impaired driver at the wheel.

What happens to the driver after a crash like this?

Driving under the influence of alcohol is an offence in Serbia, and when it results in injury to others, the case moves into criminal territory. The SUV driver could face charges of endangering public traffic, with the severity depending on the extent of the injuries and the confirmed alcohol level.

There is so far no official word on how seriously the four people were hurt or whether any were kept in hospital. Police are continuing to work on establishing all the circumstances of the crash.

Could stricter sobriety checks at tunnel entrances help prevent accidents like this one?