Around 5:30 p.m. on Friday, June 5, in Kyiv's Solomyansky district at the intersection of Vadym Hetman and Ushynsky streets, a Mercedes-Benz C300 crashed through a barrier and entered an underground pedestrian crossing. Four people died at the scene — three men and a woman whose identity has not been established. Three more were injured and hospitalized. The driver himself is also in the hospital with injuries.
An investigative task force worked at the scene. Traffic in the direction of Vadym Hetman Street was disrupted due to an accident on Chokolivsky Boulevard.
What the Breathalyzer Showed and What Is Known About the Driver
According to Kyiv Operatyvnyi publication, the breathalyzer detected 1.3 ppm (per mil) in the driver — six times higher than the permitted limit in Ukraine of 0.2 ppm. According to the same source, the man is not the owner of the vehicle: he worked at the cottage of the car's owner and apparently used someone else's vehicle. Approximately 20 minutes after the crash, the Mercedes was reported as missing.
An important detail from his background: according to the same source, 10 years ago, a woman died as a result of another traffic accident involving this same driver. He served his sentence at that time.
"The driver responsible for this terrible accident has been detained under Article 208 of the Criminal Procedure Code. After the crash, he was taken to the emergency hospital because he also sustained injuries."
— Prosecutor's Office Spokeswoman Nadiya Maksymets, 5 Channel
What He Faces
Article 286-1 of the Criminal Code — violation of traffic rules while under the influence of alcohol that resulted in the death of multiple persons — provides for imprisonment from 7 to 12 years with deprivation of the right to drive for the same period. According to 5 Channel citing the prosecutor's office, the driver faces up to 10 years in prison.
National Police Spokeswoman Yulia Hirdvilis confirmed the accident and reported that an investigative task force is establishing all the circumstances. The official version of events — excessive speed, loss of control — has not yet included details about the driver's condition at the time of the accident.
Context: Recidivism and Someone Else's Car
The combination of three circumstances — alcohol behind the wheel, someone else's vehicle, a previously served sentence for a similar crime — defines not only the legal but also the social framework of the case. Each of these factors individually is not unique to Ukrainian judicial practice. Together, they raise the question of whether the mechanisms that should have prevented recurrence actually worked.
If the investigation confirms the state of alcohol intoxication and a causal link to the deaths of four people, the prosecution under Part 3 of Article 286-1 of the Criminal Code will determine whether the court will have grounds for a maximum sentence, or whether the defense can insist on a less serious charge.
