On June 14, a minivan plowed into a crowd in Blagoveshchensk, resulting in three fatalities and six injuries, according to regional police. The driver was under the influence of alcohol.
The vehicle veered onto the sidewalk on Vasilenko Street in Blagoveshchensk at full speed, striking at least ten individuals. Tests confirmed that the driver, Evgeniy Bakaryukin, was drunk.
The accident resulted in the deaths of three people, including two minors. Six individuals were hospitalized.
The Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case for violating traffic rules while under the influence of alcohol, leading to the deaths of two or more people. The maximum penalty under this charge is 15 years in prison.
Residents of Blagoveshchensk attempted to lynch the 59-year-old Evgeniy Bakaryukin. According to an eyewitness, the driver did not sustain any visible injuries in the crash, but blood could be seen on his face after he was attacked by the crowd.
"I saw from my window that there were five ambulances and a large number of police cars. When I went outside, the police were only allowing relatives near the scene. People who managed to get close before the police arrived counted 11 bodies. Before the ambulance arrived, men from nearby houses pulled the driver from the car and started beating him. Eventually, he was taken away by an ambulance," a resident of a house on Vasilenko Street told '7x7'.
The man also noted that over 100 people gathered at the accident scene. Another eyewitness shared with '7x7' that a girl who survived the hit had a nervous breakdown.
"A group of teenagers was going to a birthday party. She was walking in front and managed to react in time; unfortunately, the others were not so lucky. The girl is physically fine but will undoubtedly have psychological trauma. It took an hour to calm her down. In the first few minutes after the incident, she told people what had happened — that the car plowed into them as they were walking towards the house of the birthday celebrant," a Blagoveshchensk resident shared.