Truck Plunges Down Steep Slope into Sea; Witness Narrowly Escapes
Translated from Croatian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
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Named sources
Outcome reported
- A truck belonging to Pula's municipal company Herculanea veered off a steep slope and fell into the sea near Zlatne stijene.
- The driver, who reported brake failure, sustained minor injuries, as did two other employees on the truck.
- A witness narrowly avoided being hit by the truck, describing the incident as "like a bomb exploding."
A truck from Pula's municipal company Herculanea plunged down a steep slope and into the sea near Zlatne stijene, narrowly avoiding a tragedy. The driver, a 36-year-old man, reported that the vehicle's brakes failed.
It was like a bomb exploding. The driver managed to get out while the truck was going down, but he was also injured. It's incredible luck that there were no people here today, otherwise there are usually up to 20 bathers, children, adults...
Two other employees, aged 39 and 37, were on the rear of the truck performing waste loading when the incident occurred. The driver sustained minor injuries and was taken to Pula General Hospital for observation. The two other workers also reported injuries.
A local resident who was on the beach described the terrifying moments, stating he had to jump onto rocks to avoid the falling truck. "It was like a bomb exploding," he said, recounting how the truck "came directly towards me." He noted that the truck narrowly missed him and other beachgoers, emphasizing the incredible luck that more people were not injured, as the beach is usually crowded.
He completely lost control. The truck caught some branches, and everything started to break. The noise warned me that something was happening. And then the workers from the truck started yelling. The two of them jumped out immediately, and the driver stayed in the truck. When I saw it go over the edge of that road, heading directly towards me, I jumped onto the rocks from a height of two meters, luckily those rocks are very flat. So I hurt my heel and I'm all scratched up.
The truck was later recovered from the sea. The vehicle has been temporarily impounded for technical inspection to determine if it was roadworthy. The Port Authority of Pula received the report of sea pollution at 11:20 AM and initiated an investigation. The incident has left the witness shaken, and he is considering legal action.
The driver said the brakes failed.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Veฤernji List in Croatian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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