Indian smuggler trafficked migrants on motorway A6, collided with guitarist from band Grad
A 28-year-old Indian national has been arrested following a chase on motorway A6 near Rijeka in which he caused a collision with a vehicle driven by the guitarist of Rijeka-based band Grad.
Fugitive with false registration plates crashes guitarist's car on Svilno viaduct
According to information published by Index.hr, police have released details of a traffic accident that occurred on Wednesday afternoon on motorway A6 Rijeka–Zagreb, between junctions Čavle and Orehovica, on the Svilno viaduct in the direction of Rijeka.
The accident was caused by a 28-year-old Indian national who was fleeing from police whilst transporting three foreign nationals for a previously agreed monetary fee. Police established that he had affixed registration plates to the vehicle that did not belong to it.
Officers attempted to stop the car with Belgian registration plates, but the driver did not stop — he accelerated and continued towards Rijeka. At the Kikovica toll station, another police vehicle was waiting for him, but he did not stop there either. He drove through the lowered barrier and continued fleeing.
On the Svilno viaduct, he was driving at an inappropriate speed and collided with a car bearing Rijeka registration plates driven by a 49-year-old Croatian national. The vehicle of the 49-year-old overturned. As reported previously, the guitarist of the Rijeka-based band Grad was in it.
The frontman of the band, Dean Škaljac, announced that the guitarist managed to exit the vehicle through the passenger side window without serious injuries. "The migrant smuggler, allegedly some Indian, after a crazy chase by Croatian police officers crashed 'with the helpful assistance of police' into the car of our guitarist and flipped it near JGL, first onto the roof, then onto its side," wrote Škaljac. He questioned whether it was necessary to endanger other road users in order to apprehend the smuggler.
After the collision, the Indian exited his vehicle and continued fleeing on foot. Officers soon found him and arrested him. In his car were three foreign nationals whom he had illegally transported — all sustained minor injuries, as did the 49-year-old Croatian driver.
The Indian is suspected of human smuggling and falsification of documents and has been handed over to the custody supervisor. Due to traffic violations, police have requested that the court fine him in the amount of 6,870 euros. Proceedings concerning the three foreign nationals were conducted in accordance with the International and Temporary Protection Act and the Foreigners Act, according to a police statement.
Source: Index.hr