In the evening hours of January 1, a traffic incident occurred in St. Petersburg that left six people injured. Local authorities cited the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the region as noting the event in official briefings.
According to the police report, at 8:49 p.m. near the building complex on Oktyabrskaya Embankment, a car-share vehicle from Volkswagen veered across the opposite lane and collided with a Skoda. The impact disrupted traffic and drew an immediate response from emergency services.
Among those affected were an 81-year-old woman, a 23-year-old man, and two women aged 51 and 54. They were all transported to the hospital with serious injuries described as moderate in severity. Two additional individuals opted not to be hospitalized after receiving on-site assessment and care.
Preliminary information indicates that the driver of the car-share vehicle may have been under the influence at the time of the crash, with authorities continuing to investigate the incident.
The incident adds to a broader pattern under scrutiny in Russia, where authorities have repeatedly stressed the dangers of drunk driving and the responsibilities of car-sharing programs to ensure driver safety and compliance with traffic laws. In this case, investigators are examining vehicle telemetry, eyewitness accounts, and the driver’s actions in the moments leading up to the collision. The aim is to determine fault, assess charges if applicable, and prevent similar accidents in the future.
As the investigation proceeds, road safety officials in St. Petersburg remind residents and visitors that impaired driving endangers everyone on the road. Citizens are urged to report dangerous behavior and to rely on licensed transportation providers that enforce strict adherence to provincial and national regulations. This event serves as a reminder to prioritize sober driving and responsible car-sharing usage for safer urban mobility and reduced risk of harm to pedestrians and other motorists.
Across Russia and many other regions, national and local authorities continue to explore measures to improve driver screening, establish clearer standards for car-sharing services, and promote public awareness about the consequences of drunk driving. Stakeholders in the transportation and safety sectors emphasize that consistent enforcement, combined with robust education campaigns, can help reduce crashes, protect vulnerable road users, and support safer communities during holiday periods and beyond. This case will likely contribute to ongoing discussions about policy and practice in urban mobility and road safety at large.