Five Accidents Over Weekend: One Dead, Nine Injured

Over the weekend of July 18–19, five road accidents were recorded in the Tambov Region. One person died and nine were injured (including a teenage passenger of a car). The accidents occurred in Tambov and the Tambov Municipal District. Types of accidents: two collisions, a rollover, a run-off-road, and a pedestrian hit. Officers of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (Gosavtoinspektsiya) removed 22 drunk drivers and 28 people without licenses from the roads.

On July 19 at 3:30 a.m. on the 19th km of the Tambov–Shatsk highway (Tambovsky District), the driver of a Chevrolet Epica (born 2007, driving experience less than a year) drove into the oncoming lane (where overtaking is prohibited) and collided with a VAZ-2110 driven by a man born in 1984. The VAZ driver died at the scene. His passengers — a 15-year-old teenager, a 19-year-old woman, and a woman born in 1986 — were hospitalized with serious injuries. The Chevrolet driver later sought medical help on his own.

The State Traffic Safety Inspectorate reminds: for driving into the oncoming lane (Part 4 of Article 12.15 of the Administrative Offences Code of the Russian Federation), the penalty is a fine of 7,500 rubles (approximately $88) or license revocation for 4–6 months. For a repeat violation, license revocation for one year (if recorded by automatic camera, a fine of 7,500 rubles).

On July 19 at 5:47 p.m. at house No. 23 on Chicherina Street in Tambov, the driver of a KUGOO electric bicycle (a man born in 1994) went through a red traffic light and hit a female pedestrian born in 1969, who was crossing the road at a controlled crosswalk on a green light. Both the pedestrian and the cyclist were injured and taken to the hospital. Reminder for cyclists and drivers: Section 6 of the Traffic Rules, as well as Article 12.18 of the Administrative Offences Code (failure to yield to a pedestrian) carries a fine of 1,500 to 2,500 rubles (approximately $18 to $29).

On July 17 at 8:15 p.m. on the 56th km of the Tambov–Penza highway (Rasskazovsky District), a tragedy occurred. The driver of a BMW X5, a 44-year-old resident of Voronezh, drove into the oncoming lane (where overtaking was not prohibited) and collided with a SITRAK C7H truck with a refrigerated semi-trailer driven by a man born in 1970 (who was traveling in his own lane). The truck driver was injured. The BMW driver, his wife, and two children aged 9 and 13 died at the scene before the ambulance arrived. The preliminary cause is high speed, along with damage to the truck and complete deformation of the BMW«s body. Over the past year, the BMW driver had been cited more than 30 times for speeding (Article 12.9 of the Administrative Offences Code). The final causes will be determined by the investigation.

The Tambov Region Directorate of the State Traffic Safety Inspectorate urges citizens to strictly obey traffic rules and to report drunk drivers to the nearest traffic police patrol or to the duty unit by phone 8 (4752) 53-40-67, as well as by 102. The same numbers can be used to report pedestrians without reflective elements on the road at night.