“Black Friday” claims 12 lives

A total of 12 Czechs died in road accidents on Friday, the highest number on any single day so far this year. The previous record stood at eight fatalities. In the worst accident of what has been dubbed “Black Friday,” five people were killed after two cars crashed into each other near the eastern town of Karviná. Media reports said amounts of what was suspected to be the drug pervitin had been found by police in one of the cars. A recent spate of fatal accidents has been blamed on the hot weather, alcohol, and speeding. Twenty-six people were killed during the long four-day holiday weekend which started on July 3.