Karaburma: Woman Killed at Crosswalk on Visnjicka Street

A woman was killed today, September 16, around 3:30 p.m. in a traffic accident on Visnjicka Street in Karaburma. The crash happened at the pedestrian crossing near the BIG shopping center, where, according to initial information, a car struck the woman.

According to what is known so far, the woman was crossing the street exactly on the marked crosswalk when a car came through and hit her.

Did the car run a red light?

Several outlets, citing witnesses at the scene, report that the car ran a red light and was traveling at high speed. These are unofficial claims. By evening, police had not confirmed either of them.

The exact circumstances of the crash, including the speed the car was traveling, are expected to be established by the investigation. Traffic accident analysis typically takes days, sometimes weeks, before prosecutors receive a final report.

An ambulance crew arrived at the scene shortly after the crash and tried to help the injured woman. Despite the doctors’ efforts, she died of her injuries at the scene.

Police officers went to Karaburma and carried out an on site investigation. According to the latest information, the investigation is still ongoing, with the goal of clarifying all circumstances of the crash.

What is known about the driver?

According to information from the Tanjug agency, carried by B92, the driver stayed at the scene of the accident. That means he did not flee or try to avoid responsibility immediately after the crash.

By evening, it had not been announced whether the driver was taken into custody, questioned by police, or had any measure imposed on him. The relevant prosecutor’s office has not officially commented on the crash.

Neither the identity of the woman who died nor her age has been made public so far. The same goes for the driver, as well as the make and model of the car he was driving. This kind of information is typically released only after police complete the investigation and identify everyone involved in the crash.

Fatal traffic accidents are generally classified as a serious offense against the safety of public traffic. If the investigation confirms that the driver broke the rules, for instance by running a red light, that could further complicate his legal situation. Until then, according to witnesses, it remains only a suspicion that the investigation still needs to confirm or rule out.

According to Telegraf and Informer, the woman’s body remained on the road for some time after the crash, covered with a white sheet, while the investigation was underway. This is standard procedure at the scene of a fatal traffic accident, since the body typically stays in place until all the relevant services arrive.

Visnjicka Street in Karaburma is one of the busier roads in that part of Belgrade. The crosswalk where the accident happened is right next to the BIG shopping center, a spot that a large number of pedestrians pass through every day.

The traffic light at that crosswalk is used regularly by residents of nearby buildings, as well as by shoppers at the mall, who move through the area in large numbers in the afternoon hours. That is precisely why traffic in that part of Karaburma tends to be heavy at the time the crash occurred.

Serbia’s Road Traffic Safety Law requires drivers to stop before a crosswalk when the light is red, regardless of whether a pedestrian is on the crossing at that moment. Breaking that rule, if confirmed by the investigation, counts among the more serious traffic violations.

Srpske novine is following the case and will publish new information as soon as the relevant institutions release it.