Prosecutors can bring charges against truck drivers and owners

Dam Press:
Rima Juria, director of the Damascus governorate service department, explained that the pedestrian bridge that collapsed on the southern highway on Monday morning was very old and was hit by a large truck, adding that this is impossible at the moment. As long as it collapses after a collision, information about the durability of the bridge can be obtained, considering that this information was known before the collapse through construction experience.
Joria denied that the bridge had been rebuilt due to a previous collapse, but local sources confirmed the information.
Regarding the legal aspects of the accident, lawyer Iyad Al-Takhin confirmed to Al-Madina FM radio that legal responsibility falls first on the truck driver because he was the one who caused all the damage in the accident.
Regarding the procedures that the families of the victims can follow, Tahsin said that in addition to the Damascus governorate, which is the owner of the truck, the injured party can also file a lawsuit against the truck driver, the owner and the insurance company for the injuries caused to the victims by the collapse of the bridge, with the aim of seeking compensation.
Tahin added that the provincial government can also file a lawsuit against the truck driver and owner, as well as the insurance company, for compensation for the damage to state property (the metal bridge).
Regarding the durability and safety of the bridge, Tahin said the court asked a committee of technical and engineering experts to determine whether there were structural problems with the bridge that led to its collapse due to the strike, or whether the accident was the direct cause, independent of its structural condition.
In closing his speech, Tahin said the Public Prosecution Service would naturally bring criminal charges against the truck driver and owner for causing injuries and deaths.
Earlier this morning, the Department of the Interior announced that one person was killed and two others were injured when a truck carrying an excavator fell onto a pedestrian bridge on the Southern Corridor and collided with the bridge.