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Fatal Serres crash: Expert suggests driver distraction, not just speed, may be to blame
🇬🇷 Greece /Disasters & Emergencies

Fatal Serres crash: Expert suggests driver distraction, not just speed, may be to blame

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • A fatal traffic accident in Serres, Greece, involved a car colliding with a truck after veering into oncoming traffic.
  • An expert suggests the driver may have been distracted, possibly by a mobile phone, rather than solely due to excessive speed.
  • The driver showed no immediate attempt to correct the vehicle's path after entering the wrong lane, raising concerns about inexperience or delayed reaction.

A fatal traffic accident in Serres, Greece, is under investigation, with an expert suggesting driver distraction may have been a primary factor, not just speed. The collision occurred when a car veered into the oncoming lane and struck a truck.

The vehicle deviates quite far from the accident site, and where it deviates, it shows that speed is not causing the deviation. Perhaps some distraction, perhaps talking on the phone or something else.

— Mr. StamirisExpert analysis of the car's deviation before the collision.

An accident reconstruction expert, Mr. Stamiris, analyzed the incident, noting that the vehicle deviated significantly from its path well before the point of impact. He indicated that the deviation appeared less related to speed and more likely caused by a distraction, such as using a mobile phone.

Stamiris explained that while high speed can affect a driver's ability to regain control, the car in this instance entered the opposing lane and traveled for some distance before any attempt at correction was made. This lack of immediate reaction, he believes, points to either a lapse in attention or a driver's inexperience in assessing and responding to the situation promptly.

From the moment it starts to leave its lane and enter the other lane, it makes no attempt to correct, but does so quite a while after it has remained in the other lane.

— Mr. StamirisDescribing the driver's delayed reaction.

"The fact that the driver did not react in time to what was happening is puzzling," Stamiris stated. He elaborated that the driver could have begun to correct the vehicle's course before entering the wrong lane if fully attentive. The expert estimates the vehicle's speed was likely above the 70-80 km/h range, based on video evidence and witness accounts, exceeding the critical speed for the turn.

This means two things: Either he was late to realize what had happened or, due to inexperience, he could not assess the situation.

— Mr. StamirisInterpreting the driver's delayed reaction.

The father of the family involved expressed profound grief, stating, "I lost everything, something was pulling at my heart." His wife and son were killed in the crash.

I lost everything, something was pulling at my heart.

— The fatherExpressing grief after losing his wife and son in the accident.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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