Mother, why did I survive the accident on my own?

Nikola Mihailović, accused of a traffic accident in Ibarska, Photo: Private archive

“My son is very ill. He asked me why I had survived the accident and said that he would like him to be dead too. He does not need a punishment greater than a guilty conscience”, said yesterday “Hello!”, Zorica Mihailović, mother by Nikola Mihailović (28) from Veliki Crljeni near Lazarevac, accused of causing a serious traffic accident on the Ibar highway on August 9, 2019. Four young people died.

After the trial in the Belgrade High Court, the mother said that it hurt her that the attorneys for the victims’ families declared that Nikola did not repent.

Victims of the Ibarska accident, Photo: Private archive

– It is not true that he does not regret it! He’s all depressed. We express our deepest condolences to all the families, but we do not go to them because we are afraid they will get sick. Is it difficult for me to tell you something? How do I ask a man who lost a son, how is he? How can it be ?! I’m sincerely sorry that you lost your children! – Mother Zorica said through tears.

Prosecutor Zoran Nikolov pointed out that Nikola killed four young men while driving at a speed of at least 117 kilometers per hour, twice the allowed, with 1.36 per thousand of alcohol in his blood. It demanded that the driver of the BMW be sentenced to between three and 12 years in prison and claimed that Nikola did not express remorse for killing the “Dacia” driver Aleksandar Savatić (22), nor his fellow companions Subotić (19) and Đorđe Belušević ( 22). ), as well as Katarina Ivanković (20).

The lawyer Biljana Borovčanin pointed out that drunk Nikola could not sit behind the wheel, Photo: Private album

Nikola’s lawyer, Biljana Dragas, reacted to that, saying that she had expressed remorse several times, that she was in a terrible state of mind, and that the court should lift her detention.

– According to the findings of eminent experts, Nikola did not have time to react! “Dacia” was invisible from their perspective, and the driver inadvertently merged onto the main road, said Nikola’s lawyer, Darko Komnenić.

Lawyer Biljana Borovcanin, a lawyer for the Savatic and Belosevic families, emphasized that Nikola was not allowed to sit behind the wheel, or exceed the speed limit of 50 kilometers per hour.

– All the time they are trying to determine the contribution of the driver of the “Dacia”, but since the dead mouth does not speak, it is clearly concluded that the cause of the accident is the enormous speed of the BMW and the lack of attention of the accused – Borovcanin said.

The verdict against the defendants will be pronounced on December 2.