Apatin: three girls hurt in scooter-van crash
Three girls riding a single electric scooter hit a van at an intersection in central Apatin. All three were taken to the hospital in Sombor.
- Three girls were riding a single electric scooter and hit a van at an intersection in Apatin.
- The crash happened around 6 p.m., at the corner of Srednja Street and Nikole Tesle Street.
- All three girls were taken to the hospital in Sombor; unofficial reports say their injuries are serious.
- The van driver, M. P., born in 2003, said he tried to avoid them by turning left.
A traffic accident in central Apatin turned an ordinary intersection into a scene of police and paramedic response within seconds. Three girls were riding a single electric scooter and, according to first reports, struck a van. All three were injured and rushed to the hospital in Sombor.
The crash happened around 6 p.m., at the intersection of Srednja Street and Nikole Tesle Street. Brake marks were left visible on the road, according to accounts from the scene. It is a part of town where a heavy flow of vehicles and pedestrians passes through in the afternoon hours.
What is known about the crash
According to first, still unofficial information, the girls were traveling on the scooter and did not yield the right of way before entering the intersection. At that moment a van approached. The collision occurred almost at the junction itself, and the force of the impact knocked the scooter onto the asphalt.
The van driver, M. P., born in 2003, said he tried to avoid the girls by turning left. According to him, the collision happened anyway. His age and initials are cited while the investigation is ongoing, since neither fault nor responsibility for the accident has been established.
All three girls received first aid and were then transported to the hospital in Sombor. Unofficial reports say they sustained serious injuries. Official information about their condition and about the circumstances of the crash is expected from the relevant authorities. Because minors are involved, their identities are not being published.
The local police department carried out an inspection at the scene. Only after expert analysis and the collection of statements will it be possible to establish precisely who contributed to the accident and how. Until then, all claims remain in the realm of first, unverified reports from the ground.
Why is riding three on one scooter so dangerous?
Electric scooters have become an everyday sight in Serbian cities in recent years, but regulations and rider habits do not always keep pace with that expansion. A scooter is built for one rider. When more than one person is on it, steering and braking become much harder, and stability is lost even at low speeds.
For underage riders the risk is greater still. Children often lack the experience to judge the speed of oncoming vehicles or to respect the right of way at intersections. Without a helmet and protective gear, even a fall at low speed can leave serious consequences, and a collision with a vehicle far worse ones.
This crash, regardless of how the investigation ends, raises a question that concerns every parent and every driver. Do we know enough about who may operate an electric scooter, where, and under what conditions, and are we as a society ready to actually enforce those rules?
