Police announced that the 52-year-old driver of the Mercedes carrying Nataša Pirc Musar caused the collision by failing to maintain a safe distance. The president sustained minor injuries, while her companion was seriously hurt.
Slovenian police released details of their investigation into the traffic accident involving President Nataša Pirc Musar on Monday, August 3, 2026. According to the statement, the crash on the coastal motorway was caused by a failure to maintain a safe distance within the official convoy returning from a holiday in Croatia.
Spokesperson for the Koper Police Department, Anita Leskovec, stated: "Two people were injured in the traffic accident. The protected person, the President of the Republic of Slovenia, sustained minor physical injuries, while another person in the vehicle was seriously injured. Both were transported by ambulance to the Izola General Hospital."
The accident occurred just before 5 PM in the Kastelec tunnel on the motorway towards Ljubljana. According to the police investigation, the 52-year-old driver of the Mercedes V300, which carried the president, failed to maintain the required distance from the vehicle ahead. He struck the rear of an Audi driven by a 34-year-old driver, which was part of the presidential escort and was traveling ahead of the Mercedes.
Both drivers underwent alcohol and rapid drug tests, all of which were negative. The Audi had no passengers, while the Mercedes carried the president, her bodyguard, and two additional female passengers. Apart from the president and the seriously injured person, no other passengers sustained physical injuries. The total estimated damage amounts to approximately 37,000 euros.
Due to suspicion of the criminal offense of causing a traffic accident through negligence, the police have notified the Department for Investigation and Prosecution of Official Persons with Special Powers at the Specialized State Prosecutor's Office of Slovenia. All documentation related to the accident has been forwarded to this body, and proceedings are being conducted under Article 323 of the Slovenian Criminal Code.
President Pirc Musar fractured her collarbone in the accident but was released from Izola General Hospital on Saturday for home care. She has returned to the Croatian region of Istria, where she is spending her annual vacation, and her office has stated that she is performing her duties without interruption. However, on medical advice, she had to cancel her attendance at the Sinjska Alka, where she was to be a guest of Croatian President Zoran Milanović.
Slovenian police have faced criticism for releasing details of the accident only three days after the event, explaining that they waited for a full verification of information and that the president's status did not influence their work. The incident echoes a similar situation when the driver of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković crashed into an escort vehicle ahead of him.
