4 People, Including Twin Sisters, Lost Their Lives in the Horrific Accident in Mersin

The traffic accident that occurred in the Akdeniz district of Mersin, causing great sorrow, took place at night on the D-400 highway in the Bekirde neighborhood. A jeep driven by psychologist Melis Kuş, while traveling from Tarsus towards Mersin, lost control while attempting to overtake the vehicle in front. The out-of-control vehicle crashed into a group waiting on the median to cross to the opposite side, resulting in the deaths of 15-year-old twin sisters Kübra and Büşra Güney, along with their cousins Nejla Öztürk and Zehra Serdil Atak. Büşra Güney, who had been hospitalized injured, lost her 18-day battle for life, raising the death toll to four, while citizens named Burkan Acar and Yunus Bagı were also injured and treated in the wake of the accident.

Following the incident, the driver, Melis Kuş, was arrested and brought before the court; a case was filed against her at the Mersin 7th High Criminal Court on the charge of 'causing the death of more than one person together with the injury of one or more persons'. The indictment prepared by the prosecutor's office stated that up to 22.5 years of imprisonment were requested for the defendant due to the consequences of her actions. While the defendants' lawyers, the victims, and the injured witnesses were present at the hearing, Yunus Bagı attended via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS). The court panel held the first hearing to hear all parties and illuminate all aspects of the event.

The technical fault report prepared regarding the accident was presented as important evidence during the hearing examination. The report emphasized that the driver, Melis Kuş, was the primary at-fault party in the accident, while the victims were found to be completely faultless. It was determined that the driver was driving at approximately 149 km/h on a road with a 50 km/h speed limit, at night, and despite dark visibility conditions. It was reported in the report with scientific and technical data that fatal consequences resulted from the vehicle hitting the curb corner, a light pole, and pedestrians due to this speed and recklessness.

The defendant, Melis Kuş, who made her defense at the hearing, recounted the situation differently by claiming that another vehicle hit her at the time of the incident. Kuş alleged that her vehicle was thrown onto the median after contact with a truck and that the event happened in this way, stating she did not intentionally hit the pedestrians. Expressing her regret by saying, 'If I had seen the pedestrians, I would have thrown myself under the truck', the defendant claimed her speed was around 70-80. However, there is a serious contradiction between the 149 km/h speed determined in the technical report and the defendant's statements.

Burkan Acar, who survived the accident injured and testified as a witness at the hearing, described the horror he experienced at that moment and the approaching catastrophe, saying they were waiting on the median to cross after getting off from the car park. He stated that the car suddenly hit them while the children were in front of them and that he did not remember the moment of impact, adding that he stayed in bed for two months and his leg remained disabled. Additionally, the other complainant witness, Yunus Bagı, stated that the accident occurred only seconds after seeing the vehicle's headlights, while the father of the deceased children, Mahmut Güney, lived emotional moments, expressing that his children's dreams were destroyed and his pain.