"Unbelievable defense from the drunk driver who caused the death of two sisters."

28.10.2025 14:13

In Bursa, İsmail Sevinç, who caused the deaths of siblings Tuğba and Seda Akpınar by crashing into their car while under the influence of alcohol, appeared before the judge in a trial where he faces up to 15 years in prison. The detained defendant, who stated that he had consumed four beers about four hours before the accident, defended himself by saying, "I didn't think they would come out in front of me because I was using my headlights as a warning when approaching the intersection where the accident occurred."

In the tragic accident that occurred on the night of August 2 in the Nilüfer district of Bursa, the car driver Tuğba Akpınar and her sister Seda Akpınar lost their lives. The truck driver İsmail Sevinç, who was found to have a blood alcohol level of 1.06 promille, has begun to be tried for the crime of "causing the death of more than one person by negligence." The defendant's defense, which changed his statement in court, was shocking.

TWO SISTERS LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE SAME VEHICLE

The accident occurred on August 2 at around 01:30 in the Ahıska Street of Üçevler Neighborhood in the Nilüfer district. The car with license plate 16 BGM 213, driven by Tuğba Akpınar, collided with the truck with license plate 16 BHS 56, driven by İsmail Sevinç. In the accident, the car driver Akpınar and her sister Seda Akpınar were trapped in the vehicle. Upon the notification of the surrounding people, police, fire brigade, and medical teams were dispatched to the scene. It was determined by the medical teams that Tuğba and Seda Akpınar had lost their lives.

THE DRIVER WITH 1.06 PROMILLE ALCOHOL WAS ARRESTED

The truck driver Sevinç, who survived the accident with minor injuries, was taken to Çekirge State Hospital by ambulance. After the intervention there, İsmail Sevinç was taken into custody and brought to the police station. In the alcohol test conducted, it was determined that Sevinç had a blood alcohol level of 1.06 promille, and he was arrested by the court he was brought to at the courthouse, while the accident was captured by the security camera of a workplace.

PRIMARY FAULT WAS ASSIGNED TO THE DECEASED TUĞBA AKPINAR

On the other hand, in the accident report, the deceased Tuğba Akpınar was determined to be primarily at fault, while the truck driver İsmail Sevinç was found to be secondarily at fault.

HE SAID HE DRANK ALCOHOL 4 HOURS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT

The trial of İsmail Sevinç, who is charged with "causing the death of more than one person by negligence," began at the Bursa 5th High Criminal Court with a request for up to 15 years in prison. The hearing was attended by the detained defendant, the father of the deceased sisters Aziz Akpınar, and the lawyers of both parties. The detained defendant, who stated that he had consumed 4 beers about 4 hours before the accident, defended himself by saying that he had used his headlights to prevent vehicles from jumping in front of him before reaching the intersection where the accident occurred. In his statement, Sevinç said, "I picked up my girlfriend and my mother from the wedding. First, I dropped my mother off at our house in Ovaakça. After dropping my girlfriend off at her house in Çalı, I was going home. When I reached the intersections, I was using my headlights to prevent vehicles from jumping in front of me. When I approached the intersection where the accident occurred, my speed was between 80 and 100 kilometers per hour. Before entering the intersection, I used my headlights again to prevent someone from jumping in front of me from the side road. Since I was using my headlights as a warning, I didn't think they would jump in front of me. When the deceased jumped in front of me, I slammed the brakes and turned the steering wheel to the right," he said.

"THE OTHER PARTY DID NOT ACCEPT MY FAMILY'S APOLOGY"

Sevinç, who stated that he reported the accident to the 112 Emergency Call Center and that he was the one who provided the first aid to the injured, said, "When the accident happened, I pressed the SOS button in my vehicle and informed the 112 teams about the situation. Then I provided the first aid to the injured and tried to get them out of their vehicles. After the accident, I was first taken into custody and then arrested. My family wanted to apologize and express their condolences to the other party. But they did not accept it. I am very sorry, I regret it," he expressed.

"MY VEHICLE WAS HEAVY, SO THE OTHER PARTY'S VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED"

In response to claims that his vehicle was faster, Sevinç stated, "My vehicle is a double-cabin truck. It is a heavy vehicle. That's why the other party's vehicle was heavily damaged. My speed was between 80-100 kilometers. I was also injured in the accident. I had stitches on my hand, and my leg was also injured," he said.

"ACCORDING TO CALCULATIONS, HE MUST HAVE DRUNK 9-10 BEERS, NOT 4"

The lawyer of Aziz Akpınar, who claimed that the defendant could not have drunk only 4 beers contrary to his statements at the police station and in court, Birtan Kaan Saat, said, "According to the evaluations made by the Forensic Medicine Institution, 0.15 promille of alcohol decreases every hour. In this case, since he stated that he stopped drinking 4 hours ago, he must have consumed 0.60 promille more alcohol. This corresponds to 9-10 beers. The defendant's claim of having drunk 4 beers is a misleading statement. Additionally, this situation indicates that the defendant is at fault. We request the court to apply the provisions of 'conscious negligence' and to continue the defendant's detention," he said.

Aziz Akpınar's other lawyer Ayşenur Tutumlu also claimed that the defendant's speed was high due to the significant damage to Tuğba Akpınar's vehicle.

"THE DECEASED DRIVER WAS PROBABLY DRUNK AS WELL"

İsmail Sevinç's lawyer Muhammet Sefa Çınar, in his defense, stated that the deceased sisters had also made alcoholic posts on their social media accounts before the accident, saying, "My client has no fault. He also asked for help after the accident. Before the accident, the deceased Seda made an alcoholic post. The driver was probably drunk as well. We are waiting for the alcohol report. We request the release of my client," he said.

Aziz Akpınar, the father of the deceased sisters, who was given the right to speak during the hearing, stated that he was a complainant and requested the heaviest punishment for the defendant.

ALCOHOL REPORTS OF THE DECEASED SISTERS WILL BE AWAITED

The court, which postponed the hearing for the preparation of the alcohol report to be obtained from the blood samples taken from Tuğba and Seda Akpınar, who lost their lives in the accident, and to resolve the missing documents, decided to continue the detention of the defendant İsmail Sevinç.