Kolari crash on Belgrade-Nis highway kills two
A car and a truck collided near the Kolari toll station, the truck overturned, and traffic toward Nis has been completely halted.
Two people died today, September 21, in a traffic accident on the Belgrade-Nis highway, in the direction of Nis, near the Kolari toll station.
Sources disagree on the exact time of the crash. N1 and Danas report it happened at 12:10 p.m. Telegraf and 24sedam say it occurred around noon. Mondo puts the time at around 12:35 p.m.
According to available information, a passenger car and a truck collided. Telegraf, citing unofficial sources, reports that the truck struck the car, completely crushing the rear of the vehicle. The force of the impact caused the truck to overturn onto the roadway, blocking the lanes. The cause of the collision has not yet been determined, and authorities have not officially commented.
The two people in the car died at the scene from their injuries. Emergency crews who responded, according to Telegraf, were only able to confirm their deaths.
The number of vehicles involved in the crash varies depending on the source. N1, Danas and Mondo report that three vehicles were involved in the collision. Niske novine and 24sedam write that only the car and the truck collided, after which the truck overturned. The number of injured also differs: N1 and Danas say three people were taken to a medical facility, while Mondo reports two injured. The severity of their injuries is not yet known. The identity, sex and age of the deceased have not been released.
Discrepancies like these in early reporting are not unusual while an investigation is still underway. In the first hours after an incident, media outlets typically relay unofficial information gathered on the ground, before the relevant authorities release a confirmed count of those involved, injured and killed.
The stretch of highway where the crash occurred is, according to Mondo, already known among drivers by the informal name “curve of death.” The first footage from the scene was posted by the Instagram page 192_rs, which was then picked up by other media outlets.
The location where the accident happened is known as the “curve of death” near Kolari, in the direction of Nis. The investigation is underway, traffic has been halted, and kilometers-long lines have formed.
The statement was posted on the Instagram page 192_rs alongside video from the scene, before authorities released any official information about the crash. The footage from that page was subsequently carried by other outlets following the story throughout the day.
Because of the accident, traffic on the highway toward Nis has been completely halted. According to media reports, kilometers-long lines have formed on the affected stretch. Drivers are being advised to use alternate routes where possible until traffic returns to normal.
The investigation at the scene is being carried out by traffic police and the relevant prosecutor, who are to determine the exact circumstances of the collision. Emergency crews, according to Telegraf, have also been deployed to help clear the site so that traffic on this section of the highway can be normalized as soon as possible.
An official statement from the Ministry of Interior on the accident, with a confirmed number of those involved and injured and the cause of the collision, has not yet been issued. Until then, the available information remains unofficial, with the discrepancies among outlets noted above. Once the investigation is complete and authorities announce the established circumstances of the crash, that information will be added.
