Five people, including three children, died in a head-on collision on Hungary’s Route 3 near Bükkábrány on Saturday, in one of the country’s most devastating road accidents in recent days. Among the victims were a newly graduated actress and her partner, according to Hungarian media reports.
Police said the fatal crash happened outside a built-up area in the administrative territory of Bükkábrány, at the 155th kilometre section of the Route 3 main road. Two passenger cars collided, and five people lost their lives. The Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Police Headquarters said the investigation was still ongoing at the scene on Saturday evening and urged drivers in the area to proceed with extra caution.
What is known about the Bükkábrány head-on collision
Initial reports said four people had died and two others had been taken to hospital in life-threatening condition after resuscitation. Hungarian news outlet 24.hu later reported, citing police and emergency services, that the death toll had risen to five. The National Ambulance Service sent several units to the scene, including three rescue helicopters.
According to disaster management reports cited by Hungarian media, firefighters had to use cutting equipment to free people trapped in the wreckage. The road was closed completely during the rescue operation and police investigation.
For foreign readers, Route 3 is one of Hungary’s major eastern main roads, linking Budapest with Miskolc and north-eastern Hungary. Bükkábrány is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, not far from Mezőkövesd and Miskolc.
Three children were in the other car, reports say
According to 24.hu, the Hungarian state news agency MTI reported on Sunday that the two adult victims were travelling in the car believed to have caused the crash, while the other vehicle was carrying two adults and three children. All three children died, including one child who reportedly died after being taken to hospital.
Infostart reported, citing local information, that one vehicle heading towards Bükkábrány crossed into the opposite lane for reasons that are still unclear and collided with a car travelling lawfully in the other direction. The same report said the innocent vehicle was carrying two adults and three children.
The exact circumstances of the accident are still being investigated by police. A witness quoted by Blikk claimed that one of the cars began overtaking in a bend before the collision, but this has not been confirmed in the official police statement.
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Newly graduated actress and her partner among the dead
Blikk identified one of the adult victims as Kamilla, a newly graduated actress from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Pécs. According to the report, she had recently taken part in her final examination performance, Lakodalom, on 15 June. Her partner, 19-year-old Gergő, was also killed in the crash; he had played football for the youth team of Gyöngyösi Atlétikai Klub.
Hungarian media also reported that Kamilla was the daughter of Veronika Kardos, the mayor of Pusztamonostor. Family members and local communities have shared messages of mourning on social media, while the football club also paid tribute to Gergő as a former player.
The families of the children who died in the other car are also grieving. Blikk reported that one relative said the family was not in a position to comment on the tragedy.
Investigation continues
The accident has shocked several local communities, from Pusztamonostor to Gyöngyös and beyond. Police have not yet released a final conclusion on how the collision happened, and the official investigation is expected to determine the precise sequence of events.
The Bükkábrány tragedy is another painful reminder of the risks of Hungary’s busy main roads, especially on two-lane sections where a single unsafe manoeuvre can have irreversible consequences. Authorities have urged motorists to drive with particular care near accident scenes and on heavily used national routes.
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Not much information. But the fact two of the people were both young. Im going to guess the driver was the 19 year old male. I’ll bet he was speeding and driving recklessly.
The amount of fatalities in car/motorcycle accidents over the past month has been surreal. No one wants to commit to saying the accidents are primarily due to passing but anyone with an ounce of common sense and driving experience knows that it is, more likely than not, that speeding, passing, and inexperience (unfamiliar) with the road, knows this to be the case. My deepest condolences to all the families who have lost these young, beautiful lives way to early.
Ik denk dat ook de tractoren daar een rol in hebben . Wij waren ook op de 3 zaterdagmorgen en dan rijd er een tractor op de weg terwijl er een bord staat met verboden trachtoren en fietsen enz. Maar ze rijden daar toch en toen er een mogelijkheid was dat hij op zij kon om de auto”s erachter er door te laten deed hij dat niet ( 2 jongen jongens zaten er in) . Moet daar geen regels voor zijn dat ze als er bijvoorbeeld 5 auto’s achter zitten dat ze opzij moeten. Want ook hier zagen wij dat er auto’s gingen inhalen en het maar net goed ging. Of dat ze alleen op een bepaalde tijd daar mogen rijden! Ik snap dat hun ook moeten werken. Maar het blijft moeilijk.
I have also driven on this road to and from Miskolc. I have seen many irresponsible overtaking manoeuvres happen there and where things only just went right.