Black Monday in Istria: Chain Collision Involving a Child
In just one day, several people were injured on Istrian roads, and police had to close state road D75 due to an accident. Meanwhile, in Varaždin, a moped rider was injured.
In just one day, several people were injured on Istrian roads, and police had to close state road D75 due to an accident. Meanwhile, in Varaždin, a moped rider was injured.
Monday, August 3, 2026, was an exceptionally difficult day on roads across Croatia. According to police reports, three traffic accidents with injuries occurred in the Istria region alone, including a chain collision in which a child was also injured. At the same time, the Varaždin police reported an accident in which a moped rider fell.
The first in a series of accidents occurred around 3:55 PM in the settlement of Most Raša on state road D66. According to data from the Istrian Police Department, a 25-year-old female driver of a car with Pula license plates was traveling from the direction of Raša toward Barban. Due to failure to maintain a safe distance, she struck the rear end of the car ahead of her, driven by a 67-year-old man.
The force of the impact pushed the 67-year-old's vehicle into the car in front of him, driven by a 29-year-old woman. In this chain collision, both younger female drivers were injured, as well as a child who was a passenger in the 29-year-old's car. The severity of their injuries is not yet known, and appropriate charges will be filed against the 25-year-old who caused the accident, depending on the degree of injuries.
The accident in the settlement of Štrmac occurred just fifteen minutes later, around 4:10 PM. Labin police determined that a 21-year-old man without a valid driver's license was operating a motorcycle with Pula license plates. Driving inappropriately, he failed to maintain a safe distance and struck the rear of the car ahead of him, driven by a 44-year-old man, who was slowing down at that moment because the vehicle in front of him was turning left.
The injured motorcyclist was transported to Rijeka hospital, and the severity of his injuries will be determined later. He will face misdemeanor proceedings for violating the Road Traffic Safety Act.
The third Istrian accident was recorded around 9:50 PM on state road D75 near Funtana. Poreč police reported that a 28-year-old motorcyclist with Pula license plates, in a slight left curve, crossed over the solid longitudinal line into the opposite lane. He then struck the front left side of a passenger car with Austrian license plates, driven by a 74-year-old Austrian citizen coming from the opposite direction.
The motorcyclist sustained injuries in the fall and was transported to Pula hospital. He will also face misdemeanor proceedings. Due to the investigation and cleanup of the accident scene, the section of road D75 from the turnoff for AC Bijela uvala to Funtana was closed to all traffic from 10:10 PM to 10:40 PM.
The series of accidents did not spare northern Croatia either. The Varaždin police reported that around 5:30 PM in Ivana Meštrovića Street, a traffic accident occurred in which a 59-year-old moped rider was injured. The accident happened when a 48-year-old female driver, while turning left into a parking lot, failed to yield to the moped coming from the opposite direction. Trying to avoid a direct collision, the 59-year-old lost control of the handlebars and fell onto the roadway. He received medical assistance at the Varaždin General Hospital, and his injuries will be classified later.
Due to the increased number of road users and thus a greater potential for accidents, the Istrian Police Department has issued an appeal to all road users. They urge car drivers to pay special attention to motorcyclists, especially when changing lanes, overtaking, or turning, so as not to take away their right of way or endanger them in the so-called blind spot.
At the same time, they also appealed to motorcycle and moped riders to ride responsibly, respect traffic rules, and stay in the middle of the lane to avoid endangering their own and others' lives.
