Three killed in high-speed car crash in Sulaymaniyah

SULAYMANIYAH — A crash on Ibrahim Ahmed Street in Sulaymaniyah on Wednesday evening saw a Toyota Avalon crash into a market, resulting in the deaths of three passengers.

The car veered out of control and collided between two shops. Witnesses reported that the vehicle was traveling at high speed before the crash, with one saying that it was traveling at an estimated 160 km/h.

One of the shop owners affected by the crash told 964media, “Our shop sustained significant damage due to the collision.”

Police and civil defense teams have arrived at the scene to investigate the incident and assess the damages. The investigation is ongoing.

Traffic accidents remain a significant concern in the Kurdistan Region. Data from Sulaymaniyah’s Traffic Police Department shows that 111 fatalities occurred in the first half of this year within the governorate.

In 2023, the Sulaymaniyah Traffic Directorate recorded 1,047 traffic incidents, resulting in 153 deaths and 1,887 injuries.

Nationwide, traffic accidents are a persistent issue. Iraq’s Ministry of Planning reported 3,019 road-related deaths in 2023, excluding the Kurdistan Region, with 79% attributed to driver error. Additionally, 12,314 injuries were recorded in the same year, a slight decrease from 12,677 in 2022. Other factors contributing to these accidents included mechanical issues, inadequate road conditions, and unsafe pedestrian behavior.