Black weekend on Sun Motorway

The first chain accident happened between the kilometres 92 and 97 of Autostrada Soarelui , where at least 14 vehicles collided into each other du to low visibility, as a result of the smoke from burnt stubble by the motorway. One person died, seven were seriously injured and a further five sustained light injures. Six of the seven seriously injured, among whom two children, were taken to a hospital in the town of Calarasi only an hour after the accident.

According to Antena 3, the SMURD helicopter received wrong directions, after the Calarasi Emergency Medical Service reported no victims at the site of the accident.

The Romanian Police General Inspectorate reported that a number of 14 vehicles were involved in the first chain collision. Shortly after the time of the accident, a second accident happened on the oncoming lane, which left a car in flames, but, luckily, no victims were reported. After the two accidents, the Environmental Guard found 17 land plots burning by the motorway. Environmental inspectors fined RON 210,000 several companies that own the land, on grounds that the fire went out of control. The environmental guard officials pointed out that any farmer willing to set stubble on controlled fire needs a special authorisation.

Despite the warnings and fines handed by environmental commissars Friday, yet another fire erupted by the Sun Motorway, at kilometre 38, near Fundulea, but the fire was quickly put off without causing any traffic disruptions.

A third accident was reported on the seaside-bound motorway the next day, Saturday, with a car smashed under a cement mixer truck at kilometre no 59. The car’s driver died in the accident. The accident happened while the Interior minister was inspecting the site of Friday’s car pile-up.

Yet another fatal accident

A young woman lost her life in a motorcycle accident on the Sun Motorway at Cernavoda yesterday too. The woman was the passenger on a motorcycle driven by a 37-year-old male who escaped death. The early conclusions of the police investigation point to the man losing control of the motorcycle running at very high speed.

Police resignations

The Minister of Interior and Administrative reform, Cristian David dismissed two Police chiefs Saturday, who were held accountable for the accidents on the Sun Freeway. They are Dumitru Jianu, the Head of the Traffic Police Inspectorate, and Axente Mihai, the head of the Motorway Police. “The two failed to accurately handle the human and logistic resources available, they proved a shallow approach over the prevention and monitoring of road traffic, as well as a lack of co-ordination of subordinated task forces whose inaction jeopardised traffic safety, with serious consequences,” according to the ministry communiqué. The deputy heads of the two institutions will provide the interim leadership. Moreover, the Interior minister disapproved of the Traffic Police’s failure to use both on Friday and Saturday its logistics as well as the fallacy of its staff to be at the site of the accident, especially on so-busy a road as the Sun Motorway, given its making the link between Bucharest and the seaside. Minister David also doubted that the police had adequately signalled the danger posed by the billowing smoke from stubble which generated the chain collision. “It is regrettable that the Police fails to do its job and stays in offices watching TV instead,” the Interior minister said. “It is unacceptable to still have people die until the Police understands to act preventively and not just ascertain such events,” David also said.

Tariceanu reacts

Premier Calin Popescu-Tariceanu also criticised the Police for failing to do their duty to warn drivers about the smoke from the burnt stubble nearby the motorway. “I believe that the Traffic Police should be more present, not in the sense of tough repression, since this is not their chief task, but in that of prevention, warning, informing,” the PM said. “This is a regrettable accident and I believe that the recklessness by some of our fellow citizens makes us face situations as such where it is up to authorities to intervene, and although the grief of human losses or serious injuries cannot be assuaged, it is important to try and think both prospectively and preventively,” the premier said about the pile-up.

Measures

The sackings aside, measures have also been taken, aimed at preventing such incidents in the future. Supplementing car patrols on the Sun Motorway is one of them. As of yesterday, a number of 20 extra police crews will patrol along the Bucharest-Constanta freeway. Also, a Interior Ministry helicopter stationed in the seaside area during the summer season will monitor road traffic during heavy traffic intervals.