In the Primorsky Krai region, a troubling incident unfolded in which a 22-year-old woman, who was driving without a valid license and had a high level of intoxication, sparked a fatal crash that left a 68-year-old pedestrian dead and another injured. The accident took place on February 22 in the village of Ustinovka, within Kavalerovsky District. The vehicle involved, a Toyota Harrier, collided with two pedestrians who were traveling in the opposite direction along the carriageway. At the time, law enforcement officials noted that the pedestrians were on the opposite side of the road, a detail that complicated the immediate scene. After the collision, the driver fled but eventually surrendered to authorities, providing a critical turn in the investigation and prompting ongoing inquiries into the sequence of events that led to the tragedy.
Following the incident, the Kavalerovsky District Court and investigators opened a criminal case under Part 4 of Article 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, which addresses violations of traffic rules that result in the death of a person through negligence. The case centers on how negligence contributed to the fatal outcome and the legal implications for the unlicensed driver, whose actions were a direct factor in the accident. Over the course of the inquiry, prosecutors sought preventative measures, including the possibility of holding the suspect under arrest. However, the court decided to refrain from escalating to pretrial detention on the basis of the driver’s pregnancy, instead opting for house arrest for a two-month period to ensure the safe conduct of the investigation while addressing public safety concerns. The broader legal context emphasizes how Russian authorities balance the rights and health considerations of suspects with the needs of a thorough, transparent investigation into such serious traffic violations.
In reviewing this case, it is important to place the incident within a wider pattern of traffic safety assessments in major urban and rural routes across Russia, including past events where drivers faced significant charges for negligent acts that resulted in harm or loss of life. The investigation has considered both the direct actions of the driver and the surrounding circumstances, such as vehicle condition, driving history, and the road environment at the time of the crash. The court’s decision to impose an alternative preventive measure reflects ongoing discussions about appropriate supervision during ongoing inquiries where concerns about public safety must be weighed against the rights and medical status of the accused. The legal process continues as prosecutors and defense representatives prepare for subsequent stages of the case, with the aim of delivering a clear, legally sound verdict grounded in the facts established during meticulous investigative work. It should be noted that this incident follows another reported collision in which a vehicle struck a stationary car on the Kiev Highway in Moscow, underscoring ongoing attention to traffic safety and the enforcement of traffic rules across the region.