Negotin-Kladovo: BMW Hits Deer, Woman, 85, Dies

An 85-year-old passenger died in a car crash on the Negotin-Kladovo road after the vehicle she was riding in ran off the pavement and struck a tree. The crash happened the day before this report was published, at 7:30 a.m.

Behind the wheel of the BMW was G.M., 54, from Kladovo, who was driving toward Negotin. A deer suddenly ran out of the woods along the road, and the car hit it. The driver lost control after the impact, ran off the road and crashed into a tree.

K.M., 85, who was sitting in the back seat, suffered injuries from which she died at the scene. The driver and two other women in the car came away with minor injuries.

Breath test negative, THC found in blood

The driver was given a breath test at the scene, which came back negative. Further testing of his blood, however, found the presence of THC, the active substance in marijuana.

That finding, combined with the circumstances of the crash, led to the suspect being taken into custody. The decision was made on the order of the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Negotin. The driver is now facing charges for a serious offense against the safety of public traffic, under Article 297, paragraph 2, in relation to Article 289, paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. That charge applies to endangering traffic safety that results in the death of someone involved in the crash.

An autopsy has also been ordered, which should determine the precise cause of K.M.’s death.

Until the proceedings conclude, G.M. is, under the law, considered a suspect in the alleged offense, and guilt can only be established in court.

Under the Criminal Procedure Code, a suspect’s custody can, as a rule, last no more than 48 hours, after which the competent court decides whether G.M. will be placed in pretrial detention or whether the case will proceed while he remains free. The final decision on how the investigation moves forward rests with the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Negotin, based on the findings of the blood test and the autopsy.

A deer-crossing sign was already in place on that stretch

At the site of the crash on the Negotin-Kladovo road, a traffic sign warning drivers of wildlife crossing the road was already in place. Such signs are typically put up on stretches where similar collisions have previously occurred, meant to encourage drivers to slow down and stay alert. Despite the warning, a deer ran onto the road just as the BMW, carrying four people, was passing by.

Crashes in which vehicles strike wildlife are not uncommon on stretches that run past forested areas, as this one between Negotin and Kladovo does. What sets this crash apart is that the collision with the animal did not end with just vehicle damage. It caused the driver to lose control, the car to run off the road, and it hit a tree, with a fatal outcome.

Police carried out the on-scene investigation, and the case now continues under the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Negotin. It will decide on further steps in the case against the driver based on the results of the autopsy and the blood analysis.

Even with the warning sign in place, the Negotin-Kladovo stretch of road runs through areas where wildlife regularly moves close to the roadway, particularly in the early morning hours, when visibility is weaker and traffic, like it was that morning, is only just picking up.