A woman struck a mother with two children at the Kia Sportage crossing northwest of Moscow, resulting in the deaths of the pedestrian and her son at the scene.
On Sunday evening, according to the press service of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Moscow, the driver of a Kia lost control at 12 Svobody Street and collided with pedestrians. The woman died at the scene as a result of the crash.
The oldest child also died from the impact. A ten‑month‑old girl in a wheelchair survived and was urgently hospitalized. A criminal case has been opened as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Media reports identify the driver as 37-year-old Natalya Ukrainskaya, who was behind the wheel of a Kia. Security cameras captured the car overturning after the collision. The driver sustained injuries of varying severity, and reports indicate she was hurt during the event.
According to the MK publication, shortly before the crash, the vehicle entered tram tracks and grazed a tram that was stationary on adjacent tracks. The driver did not stop after that incident, continued along the tracks, and after some time the car skidded, mounted the pavement, and struck pedestrians.
KP.RU cited police statements in which the driver reported a loss of consciousness while driving. Eyewitnesses at the scene said the driver emerged from the vehicle and remained nearby throughout the emergency response.
Drugs and tougher penalties
The Moscow prosecutor’s office indicated that the suspect was under the influence at the time of the crash. A law enforcement source told RIA Novosti that the driver had used drugs from the cannabinoid group before getting behind the wheel.
At first, the offender faced a potential prison term of up to seven years. With the updated assessment, the maximum penalty could rise to 15 years. The actions are being pursued under paragraphs “a” and “b” of part 6 of article 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. The case has been transferred to the central office of the capital’s Investigative Committee for further proceedings.
Lyudmila Nefedova, head of the Moscow prosecutor’s office, stated that the accused will likely be charged with the specified crime and that a court proceeding, with prosecutor participation, will determine preventive measures, including detention, in the near future.
Didn’t avoid collision
Andrei, a Moscow resident who witnessed the incident, told socialbites.ca that the driver did not appear to press the accelerator. He described the vehicle as moving as if on a caterpillar, noting that the driver did not attempt to steer clear of the pillars along the pavement.
He recounted, “The gas was not pressed, the car moved downhill, then it veered onto the sidewalk toward the woman with small children. I yelled for him to go away, but the car simply stopped there.” Andrei observed that the car appeared to glide without the driver regaining control, suggesting the condition might have caused a loss of consciousness. He estimated the speed at roughly 40–50 km/h.
He added that the eldest child showed signs of life after the impact, while the mother stopped breathing. “There was a mother on one side of the car and a baby on the other,” he described. The ambulance arrived promptly, the boy lying in the snow was taken away, and bystanders did their best to assist before responders could take action. The girl was transported after a medical intervention that lasted about a quarter of an hour.
Andrei noted that the driver initially seemed shocked by what happened and became visibly upset after witnesses conveyed information to him.
He also stated that there was no sign of alcohol odor. The driver appeared sober and stood upright. When asked about drug use, he said no substances were indicated. He further claimed the car’s occupant was a small dog, which witnesses did not see in the vehicle once the responders arrived.
The overall scene and the driver’s reactions at the moment were described by Andrei as unsettled, with explanations evolving as investigators collected evidence and witnesses provided testimonies.