A drunk car-sharing driver struck a pedestrian, a woman walking with a child, in the Leningrad region. This account comes from RIA Novosti, citing the regional Ministry of Internal Affairs. The child did not survive the crash.
The incident happened at 08:50 this morning in the courtyard of building number 6 on Novaya Street in Kirovsk. A 25-year-old man from St. Petersburg was at the wheel of a Kia Rio that had been rented by a friend. The vehicle collided with a woman who was accompanied by two children. The woman sustained injuries, her 3-year-old son was gravely hurt and transported to the intensive care unit, while her 5-year-old daughter died at the scene. The facts indicate the driver had alcohol in his system at the time of the collision. It was also later disclosed that the driver had prior disqualification from driving. The passenger in the car, his friend who was seated next to him, was also intoxicated.
Earlier reports mentioned a freight train colliding with a taxi on its way to a railway crossing near Novosibirsk.
This sequence of events underscores the dangers of impaired driving and the far-reaching impact on families. Local authorities are conducting a full investigation to determine liability and to better understand how the car-sharing arrangement contributed to the tragedy. The authorities have called for careful scrutiny of licensing and supervision of vehicle rentals, especially when the renters are not the vehicle owners. The community is left to mourn the loss of the young child and to seek accountability for the chain of decisions that led to this fatal accident. It serves as a somber reminder of how quickly a routine ride can turn into catastrophe. The regional police department announced that a preliminary check confirmed alcohol was present in the driver’s blood, and investigators are pursuing all lines of inquiry to establish a complete timeline of the events.
Further updates will come as the investigation progresses and more details are confirmed by the regional ministry. The tragedy has prompted discussions about road safety, the responsibilities of vehicle rental networks, and the safeguards needed to prevent similar incidents in the future. In the meantime, families in Kirovsk and the wider region are left to cope with profound loss and the shock of a moment that altered their lives forever. (Source: RIA Novosti)