Croatia's Defense Minister Mario Banozic arrives for a meeting of EU Defense Ministers at the Prague Congress Center in Prague, Czech Republic, Aug 30, 2022. Banozic has been seriously injured in a car crash in which another person died. (PHOTO / AP)

ZAGREB - Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced on Saturday the dismissal of Defense Minister Mario Banozic who was involved in a serious car accident at Vinkovci that left him seriously injured while the other driver died.

"In these circumstances, which are truly extraordinary due to this serious traffic accident, I relieved Banozic of his duties as minister of defense," Plenkovic said, adding that he has authorized Defense Ministry State Secretary Zdravko Jakop to perform all tasks so that the Ministry of Defense can function normally.

Banozic was driving a personal vehicle on a private situation when the car accident happened

Banozic was driving a personal vehicle on a private situation when the car accident happened, Plenkovic said, voicing condolences to the family of Goran Saric, the van driver killed in the accident.

According to the County State Attorney's Office in Vinkovci, the accident happened earlier Saturday when Banozic was trying to overtake a truck and collided with a van driving in the opposite direction.

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Banozic, who was also seriously injured, was rushed to a hospital in Osijek, where Krunoslav Sego, the deputy director of KBC Osijek and head of the surgical service, said Banozic's life is not in danger.