Croatia: Ex-minister, injured in car crash that killed one person, to be charged
File photo.
Former Croatian defence minister Mario Banozic, who was badly injured in a car accident that killed another person, has been charged with causing the crash due to negligence, the police said on Sunday (Nov 12). On Saturday, Banozic, 44, was in his private car leaving the town of Vinkovci, when it rammed into a van. The driver of the van was killed.
In a statement, the Vukovar-Srijem police department said, "Due to suspicions that by breaching traffic rules, a traffic accident was caused, criminal charges will be filed to the County State Attorney's Office against a 44-year-old driver."
Banozic dismissed following crash
Banozic was rushed to a hospital on Saturday with serious head injuries but his condition is stable, a report by the news agency AFP said. Hours after the crash, he was dismissed as minister. Addressing a press conference, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said, "You have heard the circumstances of the accident and we express regret and concern about the condition of the minister who is hospitalized with serious injuries."
"I have relieved Minister Banozic of his duties as minister of defence," Prime Minister Plenkovic added.
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Ex-minister faces up to 8 years in prison
As per the country's law, Banozic who had been defence minister since 2020, faces up to 8 years in prison for causing a traffic accident with fatal consequences.
The crash report said that the 44-year-old was overtaking another vehicle “without checking if it can be done safely and without taking into consideration the weather conditions.”
The deputy prosecutor in the eastern town of Vukovar, Biljana Luburić, said Banozic’s blood and urine samples were taken for testing.
(With inputs from agencies)