Turkey Bus Crash That Killed 11: CCTV Footage May Reveal What Happened Before Impact

A fatal high-speed collision on Sunday morning prompted a major emergency response in Manisa province, Turkey. Local authorities have launched a criminal investigation into the incident.

The bus was travelling from the north-western city of Bursa to Izmir when it collided with a truck and overturned. Images from the scene showed the bus lying across safety barriers, with its windscreen smashed and rear section significantly damaged.

The truck, which appeared to be carrying wooden planks, also overturned. Emergency teams, including firefighters and police officers, were quickly dispatched to the scene, while injured passengers were transported to nearby hospitals.

CCTV Footage Shows Moments Before Collision

Footage from the traffic electronic detection system reportedly showed the tour bus making a dangerous reversing manoeuvre on a busy motorway after missing a highway exit.

A truck carrying timber and approaching from behind was reportedly unable to stop in time and struck the reversing bus. The force of the impact overturned the passenger coach onto its side across the lanes, while the truck veered into a roadside ditch.

Footage broadcast by networks such as KRT TV reportedly showed the bus reversing into the flow of traffic. The manoeuvre on the active motorway is a key focus of the investigation by the Public Prosecutor's Office, which is seeking to establish the circumstances of the collision and determine responsibility.

Police Detain Three Suspects After Hospital Discharge

Law enforcement has officially detained three key persons considered central to the crash, starting with the tour driver after his discharge from a local medical facility.

Investigators also detained the truck driver alongside the primary owner of the bus company, who had been traveling aboard the passenger vehicle as a reserve operator. This triple detention is part of the prosecution's effort to establish how such an overt traffic violation happened on an active multi-lane motorway.

Forensic specialists are also examining driver logs and scheduling sheets to ascertain if operator fatigue, driver negligence, or company pressure contributed to the decision to reverse the vehicle on active lanes.

Investigators are determining if the transport company adhered to mandatory rest periods for their commercial drivers. The three are expected to remain in custody as prosecutors finalize initial safety violation indictments and wait on toxicology and mechanical evaluation reports from the scene.

Regional Authorities Urge Stricter Compliance

Following the fatal accident, regional officials have reiterated the importance of highway safety and adherence to motorway rules. Manisa Governor, Vahdettin Ozkan, traveled to the Akhisar sector to inspect the wreckage alongside emergency commanders and forensic teams.

According to Al Jazeera, Ozkan said, 'Work at the scene is currently ongoing under the coordination of the Public Prosecutor's Office. We are experiencing, in a painful way, just how vital it is to strictly adhere to traffic rules.'

The governor also confirmed that multi-agency teams will continue to evaluate the local highway infrastructure and signage near the junction to see if additional measures can be implemented to stop similar incidents.

Local authorities also indicated that systemic tracking of high-risk commercial junctions will be increased across the province to enforce safety.