Report on the accident that claimed 8 lives in Çanakkale revealed: Here is the behind-the-scenes of the massacre-like crash!

Details have emerged regarding the horrific accident that occurred yesterday near the Ezine district of Çanakkale, which claimed the lives of 8 people and left 21 others injured. A chain-reaction tragedy occurred after a log-laden truck lost control on the Çanakkale-Ezine highway near the Anıtyağ location.

CROSSED THE MEDIAN AND CHANGED LANES: LOGS SCATTERED ON THE ROAD

Oktay Batır (35), the driver of the log-laden truck with license plate 33 ANK 274, which was traveling from the direction of Ezine toward Çanakkale, lost steering control of his vehicle around 13:00.

The truck crossed the median, overturned into the opposite lane, and the loaded logs spilled onto the road. At that moment, a car with license plate 34 DCJ 400 and a passenger bus with license plate 17 AHT 624, belonging to Truva Turizm and traveling from Istanbul to Izmir with 22 passengers and 3 staff members on board, collided with the logs and rolled into the ditch.

8 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES, 21 INJURED

Following the horrific accident, numerous police, gendarmerie, and medical teams were dispatched to the scene. Medical teams determined that 5 people, including the truck and bus drivers, had died at the scene. Of the 24 injured who were taken to the hospital, 3 could not be saved. While the total death toll rose to 8, 21 people are currently receiving treatment in various hospitals.

FUNERALS SENT TO THEIR HOMETOWNS

Among those who lost their lives, truck driver Oktay Batır was laid to rest in Mersin, passenger Samettin Kayatekin in Balıkesir's İvrindi district, Kamile Başkut in Istanbul's Esenler district, and Aynur Kocabey in Tekirdağ today at noon. The funeral of bus driver Mehmet Altınok will be held in the Safranbolu district of Karabük, the funeral of assistant Semih Atmaca in Balıkesir's Burhaniye district, the funeral of passenger Orhan Şale in Istanbul's Bayrampaşa district, and the funeral of Fatma Bektaş in Tekirdağ following the afternoon prayer.

3 INJURED IN INTENSIVE CARE

While 15 of the 21 people injured in the accident have been discharged, 6 are still undergoing treatment. It was reported that 3 of these patients are in critical condition and are being treated in the intensive care unit.

TARPAULIN-COVERED LOAD ON THE TRUCK, NO OVERLOADING

The initial technical report regarding the accident has also been completed. According to the report, hours before the accident, driver Oktay Batır had loaded 22,184 cubic meters of logs from the Forest Management Chief's office in the Aladağ region of Bayramiç and set off for Çanakkale. When camera recordings at the accident site and along the transit route were examined, it was determined that the truck was covered with a tarpaulin and did not exceed the load limit.

A VEHICLE WITH A HISTORY FULL OF FINES

However, the traffic record of the truck with license plate 33 ANK 274 involved in the accident turned out to be extensive. In the last 2 years, the following fines were issued to the vehicle in question:

May 30, 2024: "Loading cargo in a way that it spills onto the highway"

September 16, 2024: "Driving a vehicle without a valid inspection"

April 9, 2025: "Driving without a license and operating a vehicle without a valid inspection"

April 13, 2025: "Operating a vehicle without a valid inspection and without a tarpaulin" (on the Bayramiç-Çan highway)

BUS IS CLEAN, TACHOGRAPH FINE FOR THE DRIVER

It was learned that the bus with license plate 17 AHT 624 belonging to Truva Turizm, which was involved in the accident, had no previous fines. However, it was reported that bus driver Mehmet Altınok was fined on October 11, 2024, for "failure to comply with the Tachograph Rest Period."

INVESTIGATION DEEPENED

While the investigation launched by the Çanakkale Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the accident continues, the exact cause of the accident will become clear after the forensic and technical examinations are completed.