Due to the collapse of the Troja footbridge, the police proposed charging a pair of men

Prague - Police have proposed to charge a pair of men who are accused in connection with the collapse of the Troja footbridge. The spokesperson for the Prague police, Jan Daněk, informed CTK today about the development in the case. Both men face two to eight years in prison or a monetary penalty for general endangerment through negligence. According to earlier information, the accused are the bridge's designer Jiří Stráský and Antonín Semecký, the former head of the bridge department of the Technical Road Administration.

"Investigators from the regional police headquarters for the capital city of Prague have completed the investigation into the case of the Troja footbridge collapse and submitted a proposal for an indictment to the public prosecutor's office for Prague 7,” the spokesperson described.

The men disagree with their prosecution and unsuccessfully filed a complaint against its initiation in March this year.

The footbridge, which connected Troja with Císařský Island, collapsed on December 2, 2017. Four people were injured in the accident, two of them seriously. Last year, the city provided each of the injured with 50,000 crowns. The insurance company paid additional compensation to two of the injured, but the amount of compensation was not disclosed.

The construction of a new footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists was started by the city hall last month. It is expected to be completed by the end of October 2020 and will cost 128 million crowns. Currently, a ferry provides transportation at the site.