The St. Petersburg Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported a deadly traffic crash on the Sofiyskaya embankment in the morning hours of June 3. Sixteen people lost their lives, including two children, in the collision sequence that unfolded along Sofiyskaya Street near building 52.
Initial statements described a chain of collisions involving twelve vehicles, with sixteen other people sustaining injuries. A subsequent update from the same agency indicated that thirteen cars were involved in the incident, with responders arriving after the call at 08:43. Three units and fifteen rescuers were deployed to secure the scene, while rescue teams used hydraulic tools to extract survivors from the vehicles.
The Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that three individuals were in serious condition. Additionally, the regional health authorities noted that twelve people were admitted to hospitals for treatment.
Two paragraphs later, the official briefing on the Sofiyskaya Street crash listed hospitalizations in multiple facilities: four patients admitted to the Canelidze Research Institute of Emergency Medicine, with one in very serious condition, two in serious condition, and one in moderate condition. Two more patients were treated at hospital 26 in serious condition, four at Alexander Hospital with moderate severity, and two children, aged 6 and 16, were transferred to Rauhfus Children’s Hospital with moderate severity. Their cases reflect a wide range of injuries and treatment needs following the accident.
Causes of an accident
Law enforcement agencies opened an investigation into the collision. Early reports pointed to a 36-year-old Iveco truck driver who veered into the oncoming lane, a factor later described by city prosecutors as a violation of traffic rules that placed other road users at risk.
The city prosecutor’s office confirmed that the incident began with the truck entering the opposite lane. An oversight chamber is overseeing the circumstances surrounding the crash and will determine the appropriate procedural steps based on the findings.
The driver attributed the event to brake failure, an explanation that has been noted in early statements and will be evaluated as part of the ongoing inquiry.
“They are lucky with each other”
In a conversation with a local news outlet, the sister of one of the victims shared details about the moment of impact. Ekaterina described that her brother, who was driving a white Citroen van with a friend, found himself in the path of the collision. He noted that a KamAZ dump truck surged into the oncoming lane, colliding with multiple vehicles and causing widespread damage. She recalled the immediate danger and the actions of those involved, including her brother helping to rescue a woman who had lost consciousness from another vehicle.
Ekaterina confirmed that her brother and his friend were transported to Alexander Hospital. She described ongoing pain and injuries: a swollen knee for her brother, painful sides, and a more serious set of injuries for his friend, including abdominal bruising from the airbag and dental pain, with concern for possible internal injuries.
Another witness recalled seeing the dump truck, loaded with sand, collapse the row of cars like a game of skittles, then calmly driving away from the scene. The observer noted relief at not encountering anyone in the truck’s path and described the truck’s driver as climbing out of the vehicle promptly, suggesting a rapid escape from the cab after the crash.