Crash Near Ulcinj: Driver Held Up to 72 Hours

Emir B. (22) of Novi Pazar died in a car crash near Ulcinj, and the suspected driver has been ordered held on the prosecutor’s orders. The car ran off the road in the village of Donji Stoj overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, at around 2:20 a.m. Four young men, all from Novi Pazar, were in the vehicle.

The driver, Z. M., also from Novi Pazar, is suspected of losing control of the vehicle. Montenegrin police said there is suspicion that he was driving under the influence of psychoactive substances at the time. Donji Stoj is a village along Velika Plaza, on the Ulcinj coast.

Who Was in the Car

According to statements issued so far, four young men were in the car, with different outcomes:

• Emir B. (22) of Novi Pazar, died of his injuries at the scene
• his brother Hamza, sustained serious injuries
• another passenger, sustained minor injuries
• the driver, Z. M., suspected of causing the crash

The two brothers were in the same car. One died, the other is still recovering from serious injuries.

What Being Held for Up to 72 Hours Means

The Higher State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica ordered the driver held for up to 72 hours. Being held is neither pretrial detention nor a punishment. It is a short term measure that deprives a suspect of liberty during the pre-investigation stage, with a legal deadline the prosecutor cannot extend on their own. Once that deadline passes, a court decides on any further deprivation of liberty, based on a motion from the prosecutor.

Until a final verdict, Z. M. remains a suspect. He is accused of causing the crash, and guilt is established neither by a police statement nor by a news article.

A Suspicion of Drug Use Is Not a Finding

The claim that the driver was allegedly under the influence of psychoactive substances is, at this stage, grounds for suspicion, not proof. Such suspicion is confirmed or dismissed during the proceedings through a forensic analysis of a blood sample. The legal classification of the offense depends on that finding, since driving under the influence of narcotics changes the severity of the responsibility involved. Until the analysis results come back, it remains a police claim, not an established fact.

Funeral in Novi Pazar

Emir was buried on Saturday, August 8, around noon at the Veliko Groblje cemetery in Novi Pazar. The funeral procession began at around 12 p.m. He was laid to rest by his mother and brother, relatives, friends and fellow townspeople.

Who Is Leading the Investigation and What Remains Unknown

The crash happened on Montenegrin territory, so Montenegrin authorities are handling the case. That holds true even though all those involved are Serbian citizens, because jurisdiction is determined by where the incident occurred, not by the nationality of those involved. The prosecutor’s office in Podgorica is leading the investigation and establishing the circumstances that preceded the crash near Ulcinj.

For the families in Novi Pazar, that means every official piece of information comes from another country and on that country’s timeline. Details about the progress of the case are released only when Montenegro’s prosecutor’s office decides to release them.

Statements issued so far by police and prosecutors do not indicate:

• how fast the car was traveling before it ran off the road
• whether another vehicle was involved in the crash
• when the results of the forensic analysis are expected

The investigation into the crash near Ulcinj is ongoing. Until it concludes, only what authorities have stated so far is established: that the car ran off the road, that one young man died, that another was seriously injured, and that the driver was held on the prosecutor’s orders.