An incident that could have ended much more tragically occurred on the afternoon of May 31 in the village of Voronovka, Voznesensk district. A Mitsubishi Pajero Sport SUV flew off a bridge and plunged into the river. A whole group of people was inside the cabin, and almost all of them were injured.

Accident details and condition of the victims

According to the Mykolaiv Regional Police, the incident occurred at approximately 12:50. A 19-year-old man was behind the wheel. According to the preliminary version of the law enforcement officers, the driver lost control of the vehicle, causing it to leave the roadway of the bridge and fall into the water.

There were six people in the cabin. As a result of the fall, all passengers sustained physical injuries of varying degrees of severity. The following were taken to a medical facility:

  • Five children aged 9, 11, 12, and 15;
  • A 40-year-old man;
  • The probable driver.

Investigation and criminal liability

Investigators are working at the scene to establish all the circumstances and causes of the accident. The police have already opened a criminal case. The incident is preliminarily classified under Part 1 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — "Violation of road safety rules or vehicle operation by persons driving vehicles".

The sanction of this article provides for punishment in the form of restriction of liberty for a term of up to three years. During the further investigation, additional qualification of the driver's actions is possible.

Law enforcement officers are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed the accident to contact the investigators at 068-733-12-82 or 102.

Context: rise in accidents in Ukraine

This incident became another serious case in a series of high-profile accidents that have occurred in Ukraine recently. Statistics from recent days demonstrate a worrying trend:

On May 29 in Pereyaslav, Kyiv region, a Skoda and a BMW collided, driven by minors aged 15 and 17. As a result of the accident, the 17-year-old driver died in the hospital.

An even more tragic incident occurred on May 28 in Kharkiv. The Deputy Mayor, driving a Ford F150 pickup, failed to yield to a Kawasaki motorcycle moving in the oncoming lane. The 43-year-old motorcyclist died from his injuries directly in the ambulance.

Also at the beginning of the month in the village of Hatne, Fastiv district, a Peugeot car hit children on an electric scooter. A 10-year-old boy died at the scene, and an 8-year-old child was hospitalized with multiple injuries.