SLAVONSKI BROD, Oct 4 (Hina) - The family of a Croatian, Damir Igric, who is believed to have attacked the driver on a Greyhound bus near Manchester, Tennessee, and caused a crash in which five passengers together with him were
killed, is in shock. Igric's mother Zlata Spaic, step-father Ante and half-brother Daniel, who were deeply shaken on Thursday, told reporters in their flat in the eastern town of Slavonski Brod that they had learnt about this tragic event yesterday only from the press and TV. They had no other knowledge about this incident that happened just after 4.am. Wednesday on Interstate 24 near Manchester, while the bus was en route from Chicago to Orlando, Fla. The passenger, apparently a mentally deranged person, suddenly attacked the driver, slashed his throat, grabbed the wheel, so that the bus careened off the highway. In the crash six passengers, including the attacker, we
SLAVONSKI BROD, Oct 4 (Hina) - The family of a Croatian, Damir
Igric, who is believed to have attacked the driver on a Greyhound
bus near Manchester, Tennessee, and caused a crash in which five
passengers together with him were killed, is in shock.
Igric's mother Zlata Spaic, step-father Ante and half-brother
Daniel, who were deeply shaken on Thursday, told reporters in their
flat in the eastern town of Slavonski Brod that they had learnt
about this tragic event yesterday only from the press and TV.
They had no other knowledge about this incident that happened just
after 4.am. Wednesday on Interstate 24 near Manchester, while the
bus was en route from Chicago to Orlando, Fla. The passenger,
apparently a mentally deranged person, suddenly attacked the
driver, slashed his throat, grabbed the wheel, so that the bus
careened off the highway. In the crash six passengers, including
the attacker, were killed at the site. Other passengers and the
driver were taken to hospital where they were treated for
fractures, contusions and other injuries. All of them were out of
critical condition. The passport found on the attacker belonged to
a 29-year-old Croatian national, Damir Igric. The police have said
the positive identification of the man is still under way.
Asking reporters not to disturb them any longer, step-father Ante
said that they had not been in touch with Damir in the past days and
that they were not sure whether that attacker could really be their
Damir or somebody who had stolen his passport.
Mother Zlata had to ask for medical help on Thursday due to her poor
health condition.
Other tenants in the building where the Spaic family lives
described Damir as a nice and polite boy who fought for Croatia's
freedom during the war of independence.
According to tenants, Igric left Croatia five years ago as he wanted
to become a sailor. He was on board a ship for some time and lived in
New York in the past two years.
The Zagreb-based Interpol branch office has received a request of
U.S. police to check the validity and authenticity of the travel
document found on the attacker.
The Interior Ministry is going to check whether the passport is the
authentic or forged document. Only the comparison of fingerprints
of the attacker and Igric's ones in police files could help the
police to confirm whether it was the same person.
Damir Igric was born in 1972, and his permanent place of residence
is Slavonski Brod. He arrived in the United States two years ago
with a valid visa in his passport. The visa, issued in the U.S
Embassy in Zagreb, expired in the meantime.
According to Croatian police, Igric has a criminal record as a drug
addict and for the sale of narcotics and illegal possession of
arms.
(hina) sb ms