Brake defects and driving above the speed limit are the main causes for the bus accident near Laskarci, which led the Basic Prosecutor’s Office to initiate proceedings against seven people who were detained by the police station.
Public Prosecutor Saso Rajcev said at Thursday’s press conference that the BPO will seek their detention as a precautionary measure.
The expert report showed that the main causes of the bus accident were brake system defects and driving above the speed limit, which resulted in the loss of control over the bus. The driver maintained speed at 99 km / h, and the speed limit is 80 km / h, said Rajcev.
He added that the expert report showed that the bus driver did not use a mobile phone at the time of the accident.
Seven people were arrested, including the owner of the “Durmo Tours” company and the bus driver. Durmo Tours owner has had multiple accidents with his buses. He also owns a firm that provides safety certificates to buses, which means despite multiple issues, Durmo Tours were likely given a ‘pass’ without going through an inspection.
The accident happened on 13 February when a “Durmo Tours” bus carrying 51 passengers drove off the Tetovo-Skopje highway embankment and plunged into a small ravine, landing upside down. 15 people were killed and 39 were injured in the bus crash.
