The driver who caused a crash in the center of Sofia, fled and was later arrested with a record 3.43 per mille of alcohol, is a systematic traffic violator. He has dozens of previous offenses, including serious speeding. Today, the Sofia District Prosecutor's Office will ask the court to permanently detain the man.
The incident occurred in the area of the National Art Gallery, and the driver was stopped by the police about 10 minutes later near the Romanian Embassy while trying to leave the scene.
„The established amount of alcohol in the exhaled air is 3.43 per mille. This suggests severe alcohol intoxication, which could even lead to loss of consciousness. The alcohol consumed is within the range of about a liter of concentrate”, explained on the air of “Hello, Bulgaria” the spokesman for the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office Georgi Kodzhanikolov.
According to him, the driver created an extremely dangerous situation for all road users, and his report to the Traffic Police shows systematic non-compliance with the rules.
“It has been established that the previous violations under the Road Traffic Act are numerous - dozens. They are of all kinds, including improper parking and speeding, and significantly above the limits”, the prosecutor revealed.
At the moment, the man has been charged with driving a motor vehicle after consuming alcohol. It is also being clarified whether he disobeyed a police order when trying to escape.
“The punishment provided for under this charge is from 1 to 3 years of imprisonment and a fine. The car has been seized as material evidence, and if he is found guilty, it is subject to confiscation in favor of the state”, Kodzhanikolov was categorical.
After the initial arrest, the driver's detention was extended. “At the moment, he has a detention order for a period of up to 72 hours. The Sofia District Court is to be approached today with a request to determine the most severe detention measure – “detention in custody”, the spokesman for the prosecutor's office added.