Epileptic driver deemed fit at licence renewal killed two tourists in Brașov
The driver detained after the fatal accident in Brașov was declared fit to drive in 2020, despite having been diagnosed with epilepsy 18 years ago. His last medical prescription dates from 2022.
Epilepsy, abandoned treatment and two deaths on a Brașov pavement
The 50-year-old driver detained after driving his car into three pedestrians on a pavement in central Brașov on Tuesday evening suffers from epilepsy first diagnosed 18 years ago, according to Digi24. Although the condition is not absolutely incompatible with the status of driver, investigators claim that the man stopped taking his medication at least three to four years ago, and this currently represents the main hypothesis regarding the cause of the accident.
"I believe his last medical prescription was issued in 2022," stated prosecutor Adrian Radu. He specified that, based on checks carried out, the driver was not undergoing any treatment at the time the incident occurred.
Declared fit in 2020, at licence renewal
In 2020, the man renewed his driving licence and was examined by doctors at a clinic in Brașov. Following the assessment, he was declared fit to drive. Prosecutor Adrian Radu confirmed that there is currently no investigation being conducted against the doctor who issued that clearance.
Radu also explained why investigating doctors from the past is legally difficult: "The statute of limitations for criminal liability from before 2022 has pretty much intervened in any kind of situation. It would be a matter of intellectual forgery in such a situation or private forgery."
However, investigators do not rule out expanding the investigation to include the doctors the driver visited over time. Witnesses are to be heard in the coming days.
The District Court Prosecutor's Office took over the case
The case was taken over by the Brașov District Court Prosecutor's Office, a decision justified by the complexity of the case and intense media coverage, according to prosecutor Radu. He emphasised that the driver does not hold any special status — military or from any other structure — that would have attracted the jurisdiction of another prosecutor's office.
Over the course of the 30 years he has held a driving licence, the man accumulated only two or three traffic violations, the prosecutor added.
The victims: a Romanian and two Germans
The accident occurred on Tuesday evening, when the car driven by the man mounted the pavement and struck three pedestrians. The victims are a Romanian citizen and two German citizens, the Prosecutor's Office attached to the Brașov District Court communicated, which initially opened the criminal file for involuntary manslaughter and involuntary bodily injury.
Two of the pedestrians lost their lives. The third suffered bodily injuries.
The detained man is to be presented to court on Friday with a proposal for preventive detention.
Source: Digi24