The Main Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia continues investigation of a probe into a road accident that occurred on the federal highway Astrakhan-Elista-Stavropol involving a bus that was carrying children. As a result of the accident 5 passengers died and 12 persons received injuries of varying severity.
It was established that on April 30, 2021 at approximately 4:40 PM around 534 kilometre of the said highway a driver of VAZ-2109 car Maxim Larionov swerved into oncoming traffic and collided with a DAF truck. As a result, the truck swerved into the oncoming traffic and collided with a Mercedes minibus driven by Ruslan Nakhmetov that was carrying to Cherkessk a girl's basketball team of Volgograd Olympic Reserve School No. 2 for a sports competition.
The trip was organized by head of the sports institution Tatyana Astafieva with gross violation of the established rules, without notifying the traffic police, in a minibus that does not meet the requirements for organized transportation of a group of children.
In that, Nakhmetov was carrying children in a vehicle not equipped with safety belts for passengers.
The drivers Larionov and Nakhmetov and the sports school director Astafyeva has been detained. Basing on the body of collected evidence Larionov has been charged under Part 5 of Article 264 (violation of road safety rules entailing death of two or more persons), Nakhmetov under Part 3 of Article 238 (rendering of services that do not meet safety requirements, entailing by negligence death of two or more persons), Astafyeva under Part 3 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of Russia (negligence entailing death of two or more persons). Larionov was placed into custody, Nakhmetov and Astafyeva were subject to house detention.
Sportsmen and their parents have been questioned in terms of the probe and recognized as victims. They were provided with required medical and psychological assistance. Relevant examinations are carried out in order to establish technical condition of the vehicles involved in the road accident, their speed and a person responsible for the accident.
At the same time investigators are studying circumstances of organization of the departure of athletes to competitions, the sufficiency of funding for the sports school, spending of funds, including on organization of the safe transportation of children.
Upon results of the investigation the legal assessment will be given to actions (inaction) of all persons having committed violations.
Official spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russia S. Petrenko
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