From Jutarnji List ("Morning Blade/Butt/Calf/Flap/Flatfish/Folio/Ground/Leaf/Letter/Newspaper/Plaice/Rag/Sheet"
)Zemunik: Drunken policeman destroys plane and helicopter with a car and runs away.
Author: Ana Something-Other Published: 12-11-2009
Zadar - At Zadar Airport in Zemunik tonight an unbelievable accident happened, in which, by a miracle, there were no casualties or deaths.
The drama began about 11pm when, driving in the direction of Zemunik before Zadar, the driver of a private car lost control of the vehicle on a bend and penetrated the fence of Zadar Airport.
He flew his car onto the aerodrome apron where airplanes were parked, then first hit a Cessna which was sitting there. At full speed the car pushed the airplane 10 meters on the runway and made a pile-up of airplanes with the Cessna because it ran into a helicopter which had been parked there.
Not even this forced him to get out of the car, he quickly turned it around and fled the scene of the accident through the hole in the fence he had just made.
All this happened in front of the eyes of the police patrol, who have a 24-hour guard duty at the aerodrome. Shortly after he escaped police units were alerted and about 4 am he was arrested on the road, and an enquiry is now taking place at Zadar Airport. As we learned unofficially, the policeman is a worker of the First Police Station. After he was arrested in Galovac, a few kilometers from the aerodrome, he was tested for alcohol and the test showed 0.23 ppm. Although he was off duty, disciplinary actions will be taken against him.
According to unofficial information, the Cessna owned by the Zadar Flying Club was completely destroyed. Workers of Zadar Airport were shocked with what they saw on Thursday morning, a hole in the fence and destroyed aircraft in the middle of the runway.
"This is terrible, a tragedy. I can't think how many would be dead if this happened in the day, when there are passengers and workers here" said a spokesman for the airport.
Although for years airport officials have been warning that the road towards Zadar, which literally crosses the runway, must be closed because it endangers human life, it is still open.
