Minibus veers off road near Niksic, one dead, 17 hurt
A passenger minibus ran off the Kotor-Niksic mountain road at Lipci in Montenegro. One person died of their injuries and 17 passengers were hurt and taken to the hospital in Risan.
- A passenger minibus ran off the Kotor-Niksic road at Lipci on July 12 at around 1:40 p.m.
- One person died of their injuries, while 17 passengers were hurt.
- The injured were taken to the hospital in Risan; Kotor's Protection and Rescue Service was on the scene with several vehicles.
- Preliminary findings point to driver fatigue as the cause, and an on-site investigation is under way.
A passenger minibus ran off the Kotor-Niksic mountain road at the village of Lipci, killing one person and injuring 17 passengers. The crash was reported on July 12 at around 1:40 p.m., on a stretch of winding switchbacks that links Montenegro’s coast with Niksic.
According to preliminary accounts, the vehicle lost control and struck a rock face along the right edge of the road before overturning. Photographs from the scene show the front of the minibus completely crushed and the wreck turned toward the road, with rescue crews working around it.
Emergency medical teams and fire-and-rescue units were dispatched at once. Officials said Kotor’s Protection and Rescue Service was at the site with several vehicles, alongside ambulance crews from Kotor, Herceg Novi, Budva and Niksic. The injured passengers were pulled from the vehicle and taken to the Special Hospital in Risan.
One fatality and seventeen injured
Of the 17 injured passengers, one person later died of their injuries. According to officials, the victim was an adult woman. Her identity has not been officially released.
The other injured passengers were treated at the hospital in Risan, where doctors assessed the severity of their wounds. The exact number of people on board and their condition will be confirmed once authorities complete their work. At the time of the crash the minibus was reportedly full, which explains the large number of injuries in a single vehicle.
The Kotor-Niksic road is known for its sharp bends and steep cuttings, and traffic was disrupted during the operation while rescue teams worked at the scene and cleared the wreck.
What caused the crash at Lipci?
According to preliminary findings, driver fatigue and drowsiness are cited as a possible cause. The minibus was reportedly driven by Lj. M. (68) from Kotor. This is an early assessment, and the exact cause will be known only after the on-site investigation and expert analysis.
Until official conclusions are reached, all claims about the circumstances remain first impressions from the scene. After crashes like this, authorities typically check the vehicle’s roadworthiness, the state of the road surface and any other factors before responsibility is established.
Guilt has not been established by any final ruling, and at this stage the driver is not charged with any offense while the investigation continues. What is certain is that one family has lost a member, and that several people are now coping with the aftermath of their injuries.
Crashes on mountain highways, especially in the summer months when traffic is heavier, once again raise the question of safety on stretches with many bends. In your view, how much attention should be paid to checking rest periods for drivers in passenger transport?
