Fury in Bulgaria: Child in Critical Condition, Mother Clinically Dead After Crash Caused by Police Officer's Son

The Burgas court is expected to review the measure of restraint for 18-year-old Nikola Burgazliev, who drove an ATV into five pedestrians in Sunny Beach. The Regional Prosecutor’s Office charged him with causing moderate bodily harm, and the court initially placed him under house arrest. The decision sparked strong public anger, prompting protests in Burgas, Sofia, and Plovdiv, with demonstrators demanding a fair trial and tougher accountability.

The victims include 35-year-old Hristina Zdravkova and her 4-year-old son Martin, both of whom remain in critical condition. Doctors confirm that Hristina’s brain has ceased functioning, while her heart is being sustained through medication. Her son is still in intensive care, unconscious and in life-threatening condition, though he occasionally moves his hand. Two other children, aged 6 and 12, who were also struck in the crash, have been discharged from hospital, as has a hotel employee with a pelvic injury.

Relatives of the victims described the devastating toll of the accident. Hristina’s mother, Zlatka Sokolova, said through tears that doctors had told her there was no chance of survival for her daughter. She spoke of the painful task of one day having to explain to Hristina’s other child that his mother would never return. Her brother added that the doctors were only waiting for the moment when her heart stopped responding to medication.

The family expressed deep frustration at the legal treatment of the case. Hristina’s father called Burgazliev “a terrorist” who should not be at home after such an incident. Their lawyer stated that the charges should reflect intent, demanding a harsher classification that could lead to 15–20 years in prison or even life imprisonment.

Protesters across cities echoed this demand, insisting that Burgazliev be detained in custody. “To send two people into a coma, one clinically dead, and remain under house arrest is unacceptable,” said Mihaela Tancheva, one of the protest organizers in Plovdiv. The family and their supporters further called for the temporary removal of Burgazliev’s parents from their posts in the Ministry of Interior, citing fears they could influence the investigation.

The case has drawn significant public attention, with relatives, citizens, and civil groups uniting under one demand: equal justice and accountability, without influence from powerful connections.