Friday, 5:30 p.m., at the intersection of Chokolivsky Boulevard and Ushynsky Street in Solomianski district of Kyiv. A Mercedes driver was traveling at high speed, lost control, and drove onto a pedestrian area — directly toward the stairs of an underground passage. Four people died at the scene. Three others sustained injuries of varying severity.
The driver was hospitalized — according to UNN, he was also injured in the accident. Kyiv police have launched a criminal investigation, with an investigative-operative group working at the scene. According to National Police spokesperson Yulia Hirdvilis, all circumstances are being established — including the reasons for loss of control and the driver's condition at the time of the accident.
What happened physically
The Mercedes was traveling along Chokolivsky Boulevard, knocked down a pedestrian zone barrier, and flew into the underground passage. The car was crushed almost beyond recognition — video from the scene confirms this. Traffic toward Vadym Hetman Street was disrupted, and emergency services arrived quickly.
Police have not yet publicly confirmed either the driver's arrest or his condition — alcohol or other intoxication was not mentioned in the initial report.
Context: one week earlier — Kharkiv
On May 28 in Kharkiv, at the intersection of Klochkivska Street and Kravtsova Lane, Kyiv Deputy Mayor Ivan Kuznetsov, driving a Ford F-150, failed to yield to a Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R motorcycle during a left turn. The 43-year-old motorcyclist died in an ambulance.
"The motorcycle was traveling at high speed, and due to vehicles around us, neither it nor possibly me were visible to each other until the collision"
Ivan Kuznetsov, from an Instagram post
Kuznetsov assured that he was not intoxicated and resigned as deputy mayor the same day during the investigation. The Kharkiv Regional Prosecutor's Office launched proceedings under Part 2 of Article 286 of the Ukrainian Criminal Code — violation of traffic safety rules that caused death: 3 to 8 years imprisonment.
Systemic dimension
Both accidents from different cities point to one and the same gap: between the fact of death and establishing responsibility — months of investigation, during which public pressure is the only regulator of the speed of proceedings. In the Kharkiv case, voluntary resignation — a demonstrative gesture, but legally non-binding.
- Kuznetsov resigned voluntarily, without any procedural coercion
- In the Kyiv case, the driver is hospitalized — the question of his condition and intent remains open
- Neither investigation has yet reached court
If the investigation establishes that the Kyiv driver was intoxicated, the case will be reclassified under a more serious article. If not — the question will remain where it always does: why was the Mercedes traveling at 5:30 p.m. on Friday in such a manner that it could not stop at a pedestrian crossing.
