Trial for Siyana Popova's death continues on 11 September.
The 11th hearing in the trial for the accident that killed 12-year-old Siyana Popova did not take place today. The court adjourned the case to 11 September, ordering the absent private prosecutors to present evidence of valid reasons for their absence.
Prosecutors from the Sofia District Prosecutor’s Office Natalia Nikolova and Hristina Lutcheva, the defendant’s lawyer Yavor Notev, the defendant himself, and one of the expert witnesses appeared in court.
The private prosecutors and their representative did not attend the hearing. In a motion submitted to the Pleven District Court’s registry this morning, their lawyer stated that their presence was unnecessary because the appointed comprehensive expert report had not yet been prepared.
The absence of 12 photographs from the second inspection of the accident scene prevented the trial from starting, as the court ruled that their lack constituted an obstacle to carrying out investigative actions and collecting evidence.
According to the court, the failure to prepare the expert conclusion is neither a valid nor a justified reason for a party in the case to fail to appear.
The absent parties were instructed to submit evidence of valid reasons for their absence no later than the next hearing.
The defendant in the case is the driver of a heavy truck that crashed on road I-3 Byala–Botevgrad, in the section between the villages of Telish and Radomirtsi.