Murat Türkoğlu was driving to Polatlı early on August 9, 2024, when the bus ahead of him started to swerve. “The bus was speeding and began swerving about 3-4 kilometers (1.86-2.4 miles) from here before hitting the bridge,” he said. “I flashed my lights and honked, but they didn’t respond.”
The bus, bound from Izmir to Ağrı, left the road and hit the piers of a bridge near Olukpınar village in Polatlı, outside the Turkish capital Ankara. Nine people died and 26 were hurt, according to initial reports. Türkoğlu, who had left Temelli and was following closely, said debris from the bus struck his own car.
Firefighters pulled trapped passengers out of the wreck, and ambulances took the injured to nearby hospitals. The stretch of road was closed to traffic. The driver had not yet been identified.
Investigation
Ankara’s governor said investigators are considering whether the driver fell asleep. Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced a judicial investigation, with three prosecutors appointed under the coordination of a chief public prosecutor. The bus carried plate number 04 AAV 951.
Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said psychosocial support teams went to the scene and the hospitals soon after the crash. “I offer my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this tragic accident and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” she wrote in a social media post.
