Police release details of serious accident near Sinj: Four dead, two children fighting for their lives

(Patria) - Split-Dalmatia police have determined, following the accident in which four migrants died early this morning in Brnaze near Sinj in an Audi A6, and five were injured, that three cars with 16 migrants entered the territory of Croatia.

Four men died, including the driver from Moldova, while the identities of the other three have not been established as they had no documents, said the head of the Split-Dalmatia police, Marko Srdarević, at an extraordinary press conference.

Five people were transported to the hospital, including a child under 12 years old and a child around 15 years old, Srdarević announced, adding that they assume they are Afghans and Syrians.

Two minors sustained life-threatening injuries and are being treated in the Split hospital, where doctors are fighting for their lives according to the latest information, while the fifth person sustained minor injuries.

Police interviewed a man from Afghanistan who told them he paid for the transport and that this was his fourth attempt to enter.

In addition to the Audi A6 with Polish license plates, police found two other vehicles, with Polish and Hungarian license plates, and it was determined that all three entered the Sinj area this morning via the A1 highway. Two of the three vehicles with migrants were found in the wider area of Ugljan.

There were 16 migrants in the three vehicles, including three individuals for whom criminal investigations are being conducted on suspicion of multiple criminal offenses.

In addition to Syrians and Afghans, two individuals from Moldova and one from Romania were found in the vehicles.

The traffic accident occurred around 7 AM this morning on the state road in Brnaze near Sinj, when an Audi A6 carrying nine people collided at high speed with the wall of a nearby substation.

First aid was provided to the injured passengers by police officers and citizens before the arrival of medical teams. Srdarević said that the police officers were in shock due to the scene and are receiving psychological support.

The investigation has established elements of criminal offenses of endangering life and illegal entry into Croatia. Given that the driver of the Audi A6 died, the police will submit a special report to the State Attorney's Office.

The County State Attorney's Office announced that, according to findings so far, the accident occurred when the driver of the Audi veered off the road just before an intersection and hit a stone wall.

A traffic-technical expert examination has been ordered to determine the circumstances under which the accident occurred, as well as toxicological examination of the blood and urine of the driver and passengers from the car.