A bus driver was sentenced to 8 years in prison for a traffic accident in Khmelnytskyi that resulted in the deaths of ten people.

The Khmelnytskyi City District Court has sentenced a 63-year-old bus driver for a fatal traffic accident. The accused crashed into a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibus, resulting in the deaths of ten people and injuries to six others. He has been sentenced to eight years in prison for his actions. This was reported by the regional prosecutor's office on January 24.

The accident occurred on March 16, 2022, on the Kropyvnytskyi – Znamianka highway near the village of Lozova in the Khmelnytskyi region. Around 6:00 AM, a Setra bus driven by a 61-year-old man from Donetsk collided with the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter minibus, which was transporting displaced persons from Dnipro towards Ternopil.

"The driver and six passengers of the minibus died at the scene, while three others died in the hospital. Six people, including a 6-year-old child, sustained injuries," the prosecutor's office reported.

Prosecutors proved in court that the driver of the bus was at fault for the accident due to his negligence.

For violating traffic safety regulations that resulted in multiple fatalities (Part 3 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine), the accused has been sentenced to eight years in prison and banned from driving vehicles for three years. The decision can still be appealed in the appellate court.