The Ukrainian truck driver involved in the fatal traffic accident that killed two people at the Polymylos toll station on the Egnatia Highway has been remanded in custody, following a joint decision by the investigating magistrate and the prosecutor.

The driver gave his statement today, on Good Friday, at the Kozani Court of First Instance. According to sources, the 38-year-old attributed the crash to severe weather conditions, as the area was enveloped in thick fog, significantly reducing visibility.

He claimed that the truck’s speed was monitored by GPS from Sofia all the way to the accident site by the company he works for, and that just one minute before reaching the Polymylos tolls, he was driving at 51 km/h — below the speed limit of 60 km/h.

He also argued that the e-pass system was not working, which caused vehicles to reverse, and maintained that a car cut in front of him, forcing him to swerve in an attempt to avoid it.

The 38-year-old is a father of two and resides in Bulgaria.

“It Would Have Been Better If I Had Burned Too”

“We have requested that the video footage from the Egnatia Highway be submitted immediately to verify his claims,” said the driver’s lawyer, Lazaros Kouboulidis. According to him, the 38-year-old “is devastated and told the magistrate, ‘It would have been better if I had burned along with them.’”

“We were not surprised by the decision for pretrial detention. Given the timing and the gravity of the incident, we understand that any other outcome could have triggered strong public reaction,” he added.

“The assumption of human error is convenient. But locals in Veria and Kozani who frequently pass through Polymylos know how dangerous the area is, especially due to the frequent extreme fog,” he continued.

He also stated that the e-pass system appeared to be malfunctioning, and that the truck’s route was tracked by certified software, showing no speeding violations at any point.

“The initial collision happened several meters before the toll booth, and this is supported by camera footage. We are optimistic that the felony charges will be dismissed in court,” he said.

The Crash

As a reminder, the truck driven by the 38-year-old collided with two cars under extremely poor weather conditions due to dense fog, and then crashed into the Polymylos toll booth.

Inside one of the completely burned-out cars were found the charred remains of a 72-year-old man and his 69-year-old wife, who were headed to Kozani for the Easter holidays.

The 38-year-old has been charged with felony dangerous driving resulting in death, negligent homicide (multiple counts), and negligent bodily harm (multiple counts).

Video Footage Shows the Truck Approaching at Speed

According to reports, video footage from the Egnatia Highway obtained by the police investigating the incident supports the first driver’s statement that the toll gate opened, he slowed down to pass, followed by the car carrying the Greek couple from Switzerland, and then came the truck driven by the Ukrainian, which hit both vehicles.

The videos also reportedly show that neither of the two cars involved reversed. Only a vehicle in front of the first car is seen reversing, contradicting the driver’s claim.

Additionally, there is currently no confirmed data on the exact speed the truck was traveling in the dense fog, so a specialized expert will be appointed.

Earlier, protothema.gr reported that eyewitnesses claimed the 38-year-old was exceeding the speed limit when he arrived at the toll station, which led to the devastating accident — and is the reason for the felony charge of dangerous driving.