Two children (4 and 11) and a 74‑year‑old woman among three killed in A1 crash in Slovenia

Two children, aged four and 11, and a 74-year-old woman were among three people killed in a serious traffic collision on the A1 motorway in Slovenia, authorities said. The crash occurred on 27 August 2026 near Unec; two other passengers in the same vehicle were injured.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade of North Macedonia confirmed that the three deceased were Macedonian citizens — one adult and two minors — and that the Embassy of the Republic of North Macedonia in Ljubljana has been notified and is coordinating with Slovenian authorities.

According to the Koper Police Directorate, the injured include a 33-year-old woman who was airlifted to hospital and a 39-year-old driver who was taken by ambulance. Medical staff at the scene pronounced three people dead.

Local details and origin of the victims

All five occupants of the car were Macedonian citizens from the village of Žitineni in the Centar Župa municipality; the family lived in Ravenna, Italy. Local officials said the passengers included the parents of the children and the children’s grandmother — who was the mother of the driver.

Commenting on the tragedy, Centar Župa mayor Arijan Ibraim said: "I have no words to express the sorrow caused by this terrible tragedy that struck the residents of our municipality. The family is originally from the village of Žitineni and live in Ravenna, Italy. We pray for the recovery of the other two injured persons." The municipality expressed condolences and said it is following developments.

The Slovenian Auto-Moto association reported that the collision happened in the afternoon after a truck stopped in the emergency lane because of a defect; for reasons still under investigation the car struck the rear left part of the truck’s trailer. Police in Koper are handling the case and further forensic and procedural actions are ongoing.

Photo: press material from the event