On 21 May 2015, about 4 AM, a Mercedes bus went into a head-on collision with a truck on a detour road 11 km from the village of Novoye Likeyevo, Kstovo District. The bus was on its way from Kazan to Saint-Petersburg. According to preliminary data, it had 20 people aboard, including 12 children. 10 teenagers of 10-11 years of age were injured in the accident, three more people were killed, including a teenage girl. All the children were taken to hospitals in Nizhny Novgorod. Two children are in very grave condition. Nizhny Novgorod investigating bodies of the Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation in a crime under part 3 of article 293 of the RF Penal Code (negligence entailing death of two or more people).
Due to the fact that the sole proprietor who provided transportation services and at the same time the owner of the Mercedes bus lives in Kazan the investigation in a crime under part 3 of article 238 (providing services that does not meet life and health safety standards) has been opened by Tatarstan investigating bodies.
According to investigators the bus was not equipped properly, namely it lacked children’s seats. In addition the bus was travelling at night which is against the law.
The owner of the bus, Viktoria Larina, 51, was detained on suspicion of the crime. The investigators are going to request a court to remand her in custody.
During the probe the investigators are also going to qualify actions of officials of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Tatarstan, who let the children go to another city in a vehicle that did not meet safety requirements.
All responsible for the accident in Nizhny Novgorod Region will be prosecuted and brought to justice. However, it is obvious that there is a lack of control over such transport services. So in anticipation of summer season, when the number of trips involving children grows up manifold, I would like to warn all owners of transportation companies and those providing such services against chasing after benefit and urge them to check their vehicles more carefully, watch so that drivers stick to labor conditions and strictly meet other requirements. Besides, representatives of control bodies have to approach transportation of children thoroughly. Senior officials of the Russia’s Investigative Committee offer their condolences to the families of those killed and injured in the accident. We do hope that such tragedies will be avoided in future, if all on whom children’s safety depends will strictly meet the requirements.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
PDF version 
DOC version
