Bus driver sentenced to 12 years for fatal crash
On May 19, 2025, a 42-year-old bus driver from Volgograd Region, driving under the influence of narcotics, veered into oncoming traffic on a federal highway in Kalmykia, killing seven passengers.
Apr 28, 2026 0
The traffic accident occurred in the Yustinsky district of Kalmykia.
Source:
The Yustinsky District Court of the Republic of Kalmykia sentenced 42-year-old Vitaly Krechetov, finding him guilty of a fatal road traffic accident.
The crash, which killed seven people, occurred on May 19, 2025, around 2 a.m. on the federal highway R-22 «Caspian».
According to investigators, Krechetov was driving a scheduled bus on the Volgograd–Astrakhan route while under the influence of narcotics and allowed the bus to veer into oncoming traffic.
As a result of the collision with a FAW J7 truck, seven bus passengers died, four of whom were residents of Volgograd Region.
Passengers testified that the driver repeatedly nearly fell asleep during the trip, which may have contributed to the accident.
Among the victims was tour guide Marina Pronina, who was heading to Astrakhan for her son«s graduation, as well as her mother.
Judge Alexander Chimidov sentenced the defendant to 12 years of imprisonment to be served in a general-regime penal colony.
Additionally, Krechetov was deprived of the right to engage in activities related to driving vehicles for a period of two years and six months.
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