5 suspects in the Metrobus crash investigation in Istanbul were referred to court with a request to be arrested
Two metro buses collided on the D-100 Highway in Küçükçekmece at around 08.40 yesterday. After the collision, the blown up metro buses managed to stop by hitting the barriers. While 51 people were injured in the accident, 22-year-old Ferhat Uçar, who was seriously injured, died in the hospital where he was taken. Following the accident, a large-scale investigation was launched into the incident. Yesterday, Istanbul Police Department teams, carrying out their work within the scope of the investigation, detained 10 people, including metrobus drivers. 2 of the 4 people detained after the accident were released on the instructions of the prosecutor’s office after their statements were taken. The other 8 people were referred to court.
‘BE REFERRED TO THE COURT WITH A REQUEST FOR MEMBERSHIP’
Statements of 8 suspects brought to Küçükçekmece Court were taken at the prosecutor’s office. Public prosecutor, metrobus driver Düzgün Murat Çetin, Regional Director of IMM Murat Er, Deputy Regional Director of IMM Ahmet Yıldırım,
The company asked the Site Supervisor Muhammet Sertaç Kazıcı to be arrested for ‘causing injury and death through negligence’ and referred him to the criminal opinion of peace. The other 3 people were released after their statements.
DISCLOSURE OF STATEMENTS OF THE DOUBTS
The statements of Şafak Yıldız, the driver and inspection supervisor of the light commercial vehicle on the Metrobus road, and the Düzgün Metrobus driver Murat Çetin, for whom an arrest request was requested, were revealed.
‘WARNING SIGN WAS LESS’
Şafak Yıldız, driver and inspection supervisor of the light commercial vehicle on the Metrobus road, said in her statement to the prosecutor’s office, “I have been working as a driver in IETT for 11 years. I have been working as a metrobus driver for the past 5 years. I have been assigned as a field supervisor for the past 2 months. I started my duty at Beşyol stop at 06:00 on the day of the event. Around 08:00, he approached me with a Fiat Doblo brand car with license plate 34 DFL 305, and I took the vehicle. Together with my friend named Zafer Ömür, I stopped the vehicle in a fixed place opposite Küçükçekmece Court, in an area closed to traffic. My duty is to ensure that another metrobus arrives at the scene and evacuates the passengers to that vehicle, so that the passengers in this vehicle do not suffer in case of a metrobus malfunction or accidents that may occur due to the road works metrobus I used my weekly holiday on August 28th. On Tuesday, the bypass was in a metrobus area somewhere between Beşyol and the Cennet stop. I saw the bypass opening to the area opposite Küçükçekmece Court when I started work yesterday morning. Bypass entrances and exits in the metrobus work area change every two days or daily. As repairs are carried out on the road, the bypass is progressing. Warning messages are sent to the group of captains in the telegram where the drivers of the vehicle are located and to the screen of the metrobus in which they work. However, I do not know who sent these messages. As far as I know, it is sent by IMM metrobus management authority. As far as I know, the businesses and buoys in the metrobus work area are installed by the personnel of the contracting company. On the day of the incident, 20 meters in front of the vehicle I was driving, there was a rectangular sign with two illuminated warning lights and the word stop This sign is placed by the officers of the contractor company, I do not determine its location. In the previous days, the size of this sign was much larger, but on the day of the incident The plate was smaller, it was not my fault in the accident, I escaped the accident at the last minute Zafer Ömür, I saw the metrobus coming from the direction of Yenibosna braking and smoke coming out of its tires. However, as I thought the vehicle would not stop and hit us, I quickly moved away from the vehicle with Zafer while it was maneuvering to avoid hitting us. “I am very sorry for the accident,” he said.
‘THERE WAS NO WARNING SIGN’
Düzgün Metrobus driver Murat Çetin said in his statement, “I have been working as a metrobus driver at IMM for 11 months. When we work on the Söğütlüçeşme-Beylikdüzü line, we operate 2 departures and 2 arrivals per day. On the day of the event, at 07.50 in the morning, I took the metrobus with door number M3070 from the Söğütlüçeşme platform to make the Söğütlüçeşme-Beylikdüzü journey and started by picking up the first passengers from the Martyrs’ Bridge on 15 July. I took the passengers from the Yenibosna stop and while I was on my way to the Sefaköy stop, I was right in front of the Küçükçekmece Court After passing the ramp, I saw the Doblo vehicle on the closed road on the metrobus line for a work field at the last minute . At that time, another metrobus vehicle was coming from the lane. I decided to pass between them to avoid hitting either of them. The accident happened as a result of me hitting the right front side of the metrobus I was driving and the right rear side of the other metrobus while I was entering between them. I used my leave one day a week on August 28, 24. The last bypass was opened after passing the Sefaköy stop on Tuesday, I used it. I did not know in advance that the bypass was opened at the scene of the accident opposite Küçükçekmece Court on the day of the incident, no information was given about this, and there was no warning sign when I climbed the ramp before the scene, I was drive at my normal speed. I estimate my speed was 67, I was driving in fifth gear When I saw the Doblo vehicle at the last minute, I applied the brakes. On the day of the incident, I did not see a warning in the telegram group called Captains’ Mansion or on the screen of the metrobus I was using that a bypass had been opened at Küçükçekmece Court. If I saw it, I would have paid attention. Normally, metrobus fleet managers inform us about the vehicles, routes and road conditions in the telegram group, and warning messages appear on the screens of the vehicles we use. However, as I said, I did not receive any message regarding this matter on the day of the incident, I was monitoring the speed of the vehicle I was driving in accordance with road standards. There was no warning sign at the scene before the incident stating that the bypass was open and that I should reduce my speed accordingly I did everything in my power to prevent a bigger accident at the time of the incident , but the accident happened. I’m sorry about the accident. I have no fault in the incident. “I have no information who is responsible for the markings on the road,” he said.