A former Croatian defense minister who was seriously hurt in a car accident that claimed another person’s life has been accused of causing the crash by negligence, the police announced on Sunday (Nov 12). The ex-minister, Mario Banozic, 44, was in his private car leaving the town of Vinkovci on Saturday, when he collided with a van. The van driver died in the crash.

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.

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.