A video taken from a vehicle following the tourist bus full of Greek nationals that crashed into the metal beam of an overhead traffic sign in Bucharest on Friday afternoon, killing a 53-year-old passenger, shows the vehicle changing lanes seconds before the fatal accident, entering a section of the road where vehicles above a certain height were forbidden.
The bus’ driver reportedly told Romanian authorities that he was following route instructions on the Google Maps app. He did not explain why he failed to spot the warning road sign.
Passengers in the bus have said that the driver was tired after a long drive from Thessaloniki, some 680 kilometers (420 miles) to the southwest. Another driver had driven the bus from the city of Volos to Thessaloniki but had not stayed on; he had replaced on short notice another one who was supposed to have accompanied the bus all the way to Bucharest, in accordance to regulations mandating two drivers at long-haul bus routes.
One man died and 24 were injured. According to reports, 47 people were aboard the bus. Those injured have been taken to local hospitals for treatment and many have returned to Greece. The bus driver who was jailed in Bucharest has also returned to Greece and will go back to Romania for further hearings.
