ZAGREB, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced on Saturday to dismiss Defense Minister Mario Banozic who was involved in a serious car accident at Vinkovci and left him seriously injured and the other driver in the car accident killed.
"In these circumstances, which are truly extraordinary due to this serious traffic accident, I relieved Banozic of his duties as minister of defense," Plenkovic said, adding that he has authorized Defense Ministry State Secretary Zdravko Jakop to perform all tasks so that the Ministry of Defense can function normally.
Banozic was driving a personal vehicle on a private situation when the car accident happened, Plenkovic said, voicing condolences to the family of Goran Saric, the van driver killed in the accident.
According to the County State Attorney's Office in Vinkovci, the accident happened earlier Saturday when Banozic was trying to overtake a truck and collided with a van drying in the opposite direction.
Banozic, who was also seriously injured, was rushed to a hospital in Osijek and Krunoslav Sego, the deputy director of KBC Osijek and head of the surgical service, said Banozic's life is not in danger.
