Sofia Bus Driver Recounts Harrowing Crash, Shares Road to Recovery

Stefan Petrov, a 66-year-old bus driver in Sofia, Bulgaria, is recovering from life-threatening injuries sustained in a horrific crash on August 15, 2025. The incident, caused by a speeding car driven by 21-year-old Viktor Iliev, resulted in the death of a passenger and left Petrov with severe physical trauma.

The Crash and Immediate Aftermath

Petrov was on his regular night shift, completing a single route when the collision occurred at the intersection of “Vazkresenie” and “Konstantin Velichkov” boulevards. He recalls waiting at a red light when a car, traveling at approximately 200 km/h, slammed into the side of the bus. “I was caught at a red light and I was waiting for a green signal. At that moment I heard a loud bang, it hit like a bomb in the bus and from then on I don’t remember anything,” Petrov stated to NOVA.

The driver of the car, Viktor Iliev, who had only held a driver’s license for two weeks, lost control while attempting a turn. The impact tragically resulted in the immediate death of Dr. Isa Ali, a Syrian doctor who was a regular passenger on the bus.

Petrov’s Injuries and Recovery

Petrov was extracted from the wreckage and transported to the Military Medical Academy with multiple, life-threatening injuries. He spent ten days in a medically induced coma and initially had no memory of the event, even forgetting the names of his relatives. His injuries included nine broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and torn tendons in his left arm.

The road to recovery has been arduous. Petrov initially struggled to walk, requiring a walker and then a cane for support. He continues to experience pain and difficulty breathing, forcing him to sleep in a chair rather than a bed. Despite the challenges, he remains determined to regain his strength. “They said I should start walking, but my legs wouldn’t hold me. They had atrophied,” he recounted.

A Second Chance at Life

After being discharged from the hospital, Petrov’s son showed him video footage of the crash. Seeing the impact firsthand gave him a new perspective. “I saw how a rocket was flying and I was at war… That’s when I realized that I was living a second life,” he said. He expressed gratitude to the individuals who donated blood, stating that their contributions were crucial to his survival.

Petrov, a devout believer and a graduate of seminary, attributes his survival to faith and divine intervention. He and his sons had recently built a church in the village of Shuma, and he believes this played a role in his recovery. He recalled having vivid dreams during his coma, including visions of Saint Nicholas.

The Driver and Legal Proceedings

Viktor Iliev was arrested at the scene and remains in pre-trial detention. The Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment against him, charging him with intentionally causing the death of one person and causing bodily harm to four others. Passengers in Iliev’s car also sustained serious injuries, including a broken pelvis, femurs, and ribs in one female passenger, and broken cervical vertebrae and lung trauma in another.

Iliev’s lawyer, Rumen Nikolov, stated that his client had always dreamed of owning a powerful car and had been working with his mother and aunt in England to save money for that purpose. Nikolov also noted that Iliev had several traffic violations in the two weeks since obtaining his license, including speeding and disobeying traffic rules.

The prosecutor in the case, Sabina Hristova, indicated that passengers in Iliev’s car had repeatedly asked him to slow down, but he ignored their pleas. Iliev reportedly could not explain his use of “paradise gas” and lost control of the vehicle. The established speed at the time of the collision was 163 km/h.

Looking Ahead

Petrov, who was nearing retirement at the time of the accident, had planned to renovate his house in the village and return to a quieter life. Those plans are now uncertain. He expressed sadness over the loss of his future, but remains grateful to be alive. “God judge him,” Petrov said of Iliev. “He was high on that heaven gas and he wasn’t thinking.” His son, Danil, urged young drivers to consider the consequences of their actions and to prioritize safety on the road.