Truck driver in school bus crash tested positive for drugs: Prosecution

Ahram Online, Friday 7 Nov 2014

A collision between a truck and a school bus killed 18 people on Wednesday

Beheira Crash
A photo for the bus after the accident (Photo: Al-Ahram)

A truck driver whose vehicle collided with a school bus in Beheira on Wednesday, killing 18 people, has tested positive for drugs, according to Egypt’s prosecution service.

Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported that the general prosecution is investigating the 25-year-old driver who was arrested on attempting to flee the accident site. He was detained for four days pending investigations and now he faces manslaughter and drug possession charges.

Prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat has said that defendants involved in the crash will be referred to a criminal trial.

The families of the deceased have also reportedly collected their relatives’ bodies for burial after tests were carried out.

On Wednesday, the Egyptian army sent a medically-equipped plane to the area to attend to the victims’ needs.

The social solidarity ministry has set aside LE10,000 for each family of a deceased victim and LE4,000 for each family of an injured victim as temporary "humanitarian assistance" and not legal compensation.

 

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