Witness Accounts of a Severe M-5 Ural Crash Under Winter Storm

A resident of Samara, Alexander Yurkin, described a serious collision on the M-5 Ural highway involving a regular bus, a Gazelle, and a truck. He suggested that weather conditions could have played a role, noting a snowstorm and a slurry of snow on the roadway. Yurkin recalled that three ambulances arrived at the scene shortly after the crash and that responders worked quickly amid the harsh conditions. He described several injured being loaded into ambulances while others lay on the snow-covered ground. A girl, estimated to be around 12 or 13 years old, did not survive the incident, and another young woman, about 20 to 25, stood nearby with bloodied clothing. A man was also reported to be lifeless on the roadside. Police helped move a man by the arms and stretched out his legs as they conducted initial aid and rescue operations. The roadway was enshrouded in snow with a blizzard blowing, making response work more difficult. This account from a local witness highlights the severity of that morning’s conditions and the urgency of the emergency response, captured by Yurkin as the events unfolded.