site.btaUPDATED Prosecution Indicts Truck Driver after 12-Year-Old Girl Dies in Car Crash on March 31

The Sofia District Prosecutor's Offices filed an indictment in court for the car crash near Telish, North Central Bulgaria, on March 31, 2025, that killed a 12-year-old girl and severely injured her 57-year-old grandfather, Sofia District Prosecutor Natalia Nikolova told a press conference on Wednesday. After an investigation that lasted less than a month and a half, charges of causing a serious traffic accident by reckless driving and causing death were brought against the truck driver, who is currently under permanent arrest.

Prosecutor Hristina Lulcheva-Gugumanova reported that the truck was moving at 13 km/h over the speed limit.

Nikolova reported that documents concerning the activities of the Road Infrastructure Agency were extracted from the case and sent to the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office, which will continue investigating in this direction.

More than 20 witnesses were questioned, six forensic expert reports were added to the evidence and an investigative experiment was carried out. If convicted, the driver could face a prison sentence ranging from 5 to 15 years.

The truck driver has been fined for speeding 12 times, the most case back in 2024. He had been convicted and subsequently rehabilitated for drink-driving and driving while disqualified in 2010 and 2011. His drug and alcohol tests on March 31, 2025, came out negative.

The father of the 12-year-old Siyana, Nikolay Popov, told reporters that he is certain that justice will be served. He stated that drivers responsible for fatal car crashes should face harsher penalties and that suspended sentences should not be an option in cases involving death.

The prosecution service reported that according to experts, the accident was entirely caused by the driver of the truck, who was speeding while turning the vehicle, even though the road surface was uneven, and the asphalt was wet because of rain.

Siyana's father addressed the parliamentary Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs to request amendments to the Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Road Traffic Act.

Thousands gathered outside St Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia on April 13 for a peaceful protest in memory of Siyana. Similar events took place across the country.