Milan Vujanić, who was hired as a traffic expert by the defense of Ivan Jovanović (49), accused of causing a traffic accident in which the former director of Nis textile giant “Niteks” Mile Novaković (81), was killed, said today before the Basic Court in Niš that the accident was Novaković’s fault.

Jovanović is accused of endangering public traffic on May 21 last year around 1:20 p.m. on Zoran Đinđić Boulevard while driving a motorcycle “Honda CPR 600F”, not complying with traffic regulations, which resulted in serious bodily injury resulting in the death of Mile Novaković. The accident occurred when Jovanovic hit a pedestrian crossing the street outside the marked crossing with his motorcycle. As stated by the prosecution, a motorcyclist hit a pedestrian in the middle of the left lane at a speed of 23 km/h, which caused him to be thrown onto the road. Novaković suffered severe injuries to his head, chest and limbs, as a result of which he died the same evening in the Niš University Medical Center:

At today’s main trial, their view of the critical event was presented by traffic expert Dejan Bogićević, whose hearing was proposed by the prosecution, and Milan Vujanić, as an expert associate of Jovanović’s defense. Their findings differed greatly, which was explained by the use of different parameters in the calculation of elements essential for the reconstruction of the critical event. Video recordings taken from several locations near the accident site should have contributed to the clarification of the circumstances, but during their playback it turned out that no camera recorded the accident or other actions that are important for elucidating this event.

Bogićević emphasized that the motorcyclist had the technical ability to spot the pedestrian, and that drivers are generally obliged to take care of pedestrians when they express their intention to cross the road, and especially when they are already on it. However, Vujanić tried to shift the full responsibility for the accident to Novaković, pointing out that he himself created a dangerous situation by crossing the road outside the pedestrian crossing and creating an obstacle in the path of Jovanović and other drivers. The traffic expert allowed the possibility that there was a motorcyclist’s contribution to the accident if it is established that he could have prevented the pedestrian from being hit by braking.

Accused Jovanović defended himself by saying that he saw the pedestrian too late and that he did not have enough time to stop the motorcycle.

– I was moving in the right lane, when I saw him I was quite close to him. I applied the handbrake and swerved to the left to avoid him. However, braking did not slow down the engine and I did not have enough time to stop it – the accused motorcyclist said at the previous main trial.

The trial will continue in March, when relatives of the deceased Novakovic will be heard. Prof. Dr. Mile Novaković was the director of Nis textile company “Niteks” for more than 25 years and under his leadership this company was one of the most successful in this part of the country. He was a doctor of technical sciences, a graduate engineer of technology and a full professor at the University of Niš. At one time, he was also a member of parliament of SPS, a regular member of the Academy of Computer Sciences of Kyiv and the president of the Assembly of the Association of Creators of Niš.