«Those on the Left Died»: Fatal Crash, Krasnoyarsk
On the evening of February 2, a terrible accident occurred on the R-255 Sibir federal highway in Rybinsky district, Krasnoyarsk Krai. Five people died: four teenagers and an FSIN officer accompanying them. They were all riding in a Gazelle van from Krasnoyarsk to Kansk, returning from preparatory courses for admission to a departmental university.
Who were the victims
Three minor applicants, an 18-year-old student, and a 31-year-old employee of the GUFSIN (Main Directorate of the Federal Penitentiary Service) who accompanied the group. The deceased children had studied at Kansk School No. 19 since the first grade. They all wanted to enter the FSIN.
At the school, they speak briefly about them because it has been «a very difficult day.»
«Good, active children. They studied from the first grade. We will remember them as active, good, kind,» a school employee told a correspondent of NGS24.RU.
How the accident occurred
At the 965th kilometer of the highway, an Iveco truck was carrying a modular house toward Krasnoyarsk. The trailer detached, flew into the oncoming lane, and crashed into a Gazelle minibus. There were 14 people in the cabin: a 52-year-old driver and 13 passengers.
According to a witness, the trailer tow bar entered the cabin, tearing out seats along with seat belts.
«All five who sat on the left died on the spot. The parents of the deceased came to the scene and looked. It was all very hard,» says the witness.
How the survivors were rescued
Eight people survived. Ambulance teams from three districts immediately headed to the scene. As the region«s Health Minister Alexei Konovalenko said, all medical services worked in a coordinated manner, with almost no need for ministry intervention.
The injured were sorted by severity of injuries. Two girls in serious condition were immediately taken to the nearest hospital in Borodino, Krasnoyarsk Krai. The rest were taken to Kansk — five are already out of danger.
Four teenagers were airlifted to Krasnoyarsk Hospital No. 20 named after Berzon. A team of a neurosurgeon, traumatologist, neurologist, and psychologist is working with them; all have been consulted by the Federal Center for Disaster Medicine. Two are in moderate condition, no longer a cause for concern. Two girls are in serious and critical condition. The main injuries are head and skeletal trauma.
Doctors have agreed on the possibility of evacuation to a Moscow clinic as soon as the condition permits. «There is always a chance, doctors are fighting for their lives,» says Konovalenko.
Currently, according to our source, the teenagers are in intensive care, and parents are not allowed to see them.
Who is to blame
Behind the wheel of the truck was a 50-year-old man. He was detained. It turned out that he had been stripped of his license for drunk driving — the term expired in August 2024, but he never got his license back. He got behind the wheel without the right to drive.
The Investigative Committee has opened a case under Part 5 of Article 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation — violation of traffic regulations resulting in the death of two or more people. The prosecutor«s office is checking compliance with child transport rules. The State Traffic Safety Inspectorate (GIBDD) emphasizes that the accident occurred not due to weather or road conditions — the technical condition of the truck was at fault.
Reaction from authorities
Governor Mikhail Kotyukov expressed condolences to the families and ordered support for them. The GUFSIN promised to help the relatives of the deceased psychologically and financially, but does not name specific amounts.
«Road of Death»
Drivers have long called the Krasnoyarsk–Kansk highway the «Road of Death». After the accident, residents of the region are again demanding that it be widened and dividers installed. «A trip to Kansk is a game of roulette: 200 kilometers, one lane each way. No dividers, nothing,» they write on social media.
However, in this particular accident, the road is not to blame — the technical condition of the vehicle was at fault.
