Ostrava, North Moravia, Nov 12 (CTK) – A Czech state attorney yesterday charged a Polish lorry driver with causing a collision with a high-speed train that claimed three lives near Studenka, north Moravia, in July, the supervising state attorney Ales Bohac has told CTK.
He said the trial on the fatal collision is likely to start in December or January. Prior to this, the court is to decide on the possible further extension of the man´s custody. He has been detained since July 24.
Bohac told the Lidovky.cz news server that the Polish man faces up to ten years in prison.
The investigation was incomplete for a long time because the police could not question the injured engine driver. Bohac would not comment on the result of the questioning.
On July 22, the Polish lorry transporting sheet metal entered a level crossing, although the gates were going down and the red light was on. A high-speed Pendolino train, running at 142 km/hour, bumped into the lorry.
However, the Polish driver escaped without serious injuries since the train cut off the cab. The rest of the lorry caught fire and the train pushed the burning debris along several hundred metres.
kva/dr/rtj
