Croatian Defense Minister Mario Banozic sustained significant but non-life-threatening injuries in a car accident that tragically claimed the life of one person, according to Krunoslav Sporcic, the director of a hospital in Vinkovci, Croatia.
"Minister Mario Banozic was admitted to our hospital after a car accident at about 6:40 a.m. [05:40 GMT] today. The initial assessment showed that he has serious physical injuries, but his life is not in danger at the moment," the hospital director told the Croatian Radiotelevision broadcaster.
Despite suffering a concussion, Banozic remained conscious. He was subsequently transferred to a clinic in Osijek for neurological monitoring.
The Croatian government expressed condolences to the grieving family of the deceased, who has been identified by Croatian media as a 40-year-old father of two.
The fatal collision occurred on a wet road early Saturday morning, involving the station wagon driven by the victim and another vehicle.