Photo: ZN
The driver of a Mercedes-Benz who crashed into a pedestrian underpass in Kyiv at high speed has been detained, Kyiv police confirmed. Four people were killed and three others were injured in the accident. The suspect has also been hospitalized under police escort.
According to authorities, the driver was detained under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code of Ukraine. Police have opened a criminal case under Part 3 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code, which covers violations of road safety rules or vehicle operation that result in the deaths of multiple people. A decision on formal charges is currently pending.
The crash occurred on June 5 at around 5:30 p.m. at the intersection of Vadym Hetman and Ushynskoho streets in Kyiv. Investigators say the Mercedes was traveling at high speed, lost control, entered a pedestrian zone, and struck the structure of a subway entrance.
The victims include a 47-year-old woman, a 12-year-old boy, and two police officers, identified as Dmytro Bondarchuk (born 2002) and Denys Budchenko (born 2005).
According to media reports, the driver has been identified as 49-year-old Pavlo Pleshivtsev from the Kherson region, who leads a religious community. Reports also claim he has previously been involved in four traffic accidents, two of them occurring this year.
