On 8 March 2003, a Neoplan Skyliner double-decker tour bus carrying 53 people veered off the I/3 road (part of European route E55) near the hamlet of Nažidla in Bujanov, Czech Republic, and overturned, rolling seven meters down a slope and killing 19.[1][2] A twentieth victim died of his injuries two and a half years later.[3] 26 more people were severely injured.[2] The passengers were members and family of the TJ Slovan Karlovy Vary swimming club returning from a skiing trip in the Alps; half of the victims were under 20 years old.[2][3] In 2018, it was considered the worst transport accident in the Czech Republic since the breakup of Czechoslovakia in 1993.[3]
| Nažidla bus accident | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Details | |||
| Date | 8 March 2003 | ||
| Location | Nažidla, Bujanov | ||
| Coordinates | 48°41′11.6″N 14°27′28.8″E / 48.686556°N 14.458000°E | ||
| Country | Czech Republic | ||
| Operator | LSK autobusy s.r.o. | ||
| Incident type | Single-vehicle crash | ||
| Statistics | |||
| Passengers | 53 | ||
| Deaths | 20 | ||
| Injured | 33 (26 severely) | ||
| |||
Consequences
editThe bus' driver, Pavel Krbec, who survived the crash, was sentenced to eight years in prison for endangerment, but was released after five.[2] Krbec was a taxi driver who had a bus license, but had not gone through the required training to drive professionally and had faked his credentials.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Nineteen dead, 34 injured in horrific bus crash". Radio Prague International. Czech Radio. 10 March 2003. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d Kerles, Marek (28 September 2015). "POHNUTÉ OSUDY: 20 mrtvých u Nažidel. Nehoda, po které i otrlí záchranáři hledali pomoc psychologa". Lidovky.cz (in Czech). Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d "Nejtragičtější nehoda 15 let poté. Na silnici smrti u Nažidel se nezměnilo skoro nic". ČT24 (in Czech). Czech Television. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2023.