Morenii Noi bus had defective front brake

The Morenii Noi-Ungheni route bus, involved in the accident that killed 11 people, had its front right brake defective. The conclusion was reached by the experts of the Minister of Interior who came today, August 14, from Chisinau to investigate the circumstances of the Morenii Noi tragedy, Info-Prim Neo reports. Ungheni District Prosecutor Eduard Florea told the press that the law enforcement agents initiated criminal proceedings for the sale of defective transport means. The prosecutors are yet to determine the level of responsibility born by the administrators and the people responsible for the technical exploitation of the bus. According to the Penal Code, the penalty is a fine of 200 to 700 conventional units or three years of jail time. In both cases, the punishment is followed by a ban from positions or jobs related to taking care of the technical state of vehicles or exploiting them for 2 to 5 years. Also today, the Ungheni District Prosecutor’s Office announced that several possible causes of the accident were examined: defective brakes, driver’s health issues or driving errors. The law enforcement agents found that the driver was on a ride outside of the work schedule. The accident happened on Thursday, August 9, near Moreni village (Ungheni district). According to preliminary information, the Mercedes-Benz bus circulating on the Morenii Noi-Ungheni route failed to steer in a curve and slid off the roadway, falling into a ravine. As a result, 11 passengers died, including 2 minors. Currently, 41 of the passengers are hospitalized.