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The fourth office of the Investigative Committee’s Directorate (based in the city of Yekaterinburg) has finished the investigation in a traffic accident in Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area which involved a bus transporting children.

During a preliminary investigation the headmaster of Sibiryak, a children’s sports school, Irina Tarasova was charged with negligence that has entailed death of two or more people under Part 3 of Article 293 of the RF Penal Code, bus driver Marat Zainullin and representative of a businessman who provided transportation services Alexander Sidorkin with providing unsafe services that have entailed death of two or more people under Part 3 of Article 238 of the RF Penal Code, and driver of a Volvo truck Rail Saitkhanov with violation of traffic code and vehicle operation under Part 4 of Article 264 of the RF Penal Code.

According to investigators, on 4 December 2016, 33 inmates and coaches of Sibiryak sports school left the town of Khanty-Mansiysk in a bus Karosa C934.1351 driven by Zainullin for the town of Nefteyugansk. At kilometer mark 926 on R-404 motorway Tyumen – Tobolsk – Khanty-Mansiysk the bus collided with a heavy hauler VOLVO FH 12 420 driven by Rail Saitkhanov who violated the traffic code and was driving on the wrong lane. After the collision the bus was thrown to the wrong lane and there collided with a heavy hauler Scania 113.

12 bus passengers, 10 of whom were children, died in the accident. 19 people, including 16 children, were injured, while 2 more children got minor injuries that were not evaluated as harmful for their health. All passengers were recognized as injured parties.

The investigators have revealed that according to law a bus carrying a group of children of 3 of more is to be escorted by a traffic police vehicle. Neither Tarasova, nor anyone else on her orders had notified the traffic police that there was an organized transportation of children coming and the traffic police had had no reasons to close R-404 for bad weather or any other reasons. According to conclusions of forensic examinations and other reports, the traffic conditions on the day of the traffic accident were satisfactory with about 500 meter visibility. The road was in normal condition, and had been de-iced. No breaches of safety during repair and maintenance of the motorway were found. A forensic technical examination concluded that the driver of the Scania 113 truck had not been able to avoid the collision in any way which made him non-punishable.

The preliminary investigation also checked if officials of the road service had done their duty properly when they authorized the transit of heavy healers and workers of AO Bashneftegeofizika, the owner of the cargo. The investigators gave legal assessment to the actions of people who had organized the competition and transportation of the children, namely officials of the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area-Yugra Physical Education and Sports Department, YugraMegaSport, Nefteyugansk administration’s physical education and sports committee and officials of the regional traffic police department.

In addition, the investigators took steps to eliminate contributing factors of the crime. They revealed that a court had called off Saitkhanov’s driving license in June 2016. However, the information on that was entered into the traffic police database as late as in December. The Bashkortostan Office of the Investigative Committee ran a check and opened an investigation in negligence under Part 3 of Article 293 of the RF Penal Code. An internal check run based on a petition filed with the Bashkortostan police department has confirmed the cross violation by officials of the Ufa traffic police: chief of the unit and senior inspector were disciplined.

During the preliminary investigation, offers were made to improve current laws in children transportation.

As soon as the injured parties and the accused have ready the records, the criminal case is going to be forwarded for the indictment to be signed and then will be referred to court.

Acting Head of Media Relations                                                                                                                 S.L. Petrenko