After 12 deaths - remanded in custody: court ruled on the Nissan driver

At the Central District Court of Mykolaiv, a preventive measure was chosen for the driver of a Nissan Murano, who is suspected of creating an accident situation on the “Odesa – Melitopol – Novoazovsk” highway. The man will be held in custody. As a result of the large-scale crash, 12 people died and another 6 people were injured.

The court made the decision on 7 July 2026. The petition was heard by Judge Ivan Dirko. The course of the hearing is reported by “Suspilne Mykolaiv“.

During the hearing investigators reported that the suspect is a resident of Poltava, born in 1981. Before his detention he worked as a driver-logistician for a UN international organization in Odesa.

The prosecution was represented by the head of the Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office Ihor Domushchey and prosecutor Iryna Leheta of the regional prosecutor’s office. The suspect’s defense was carried out by lawyers Mykyta Harkaviy and Dmytro Ilchuk.

The prosecution asked to remand the driver in custody for 60 days without the possibility of bail. The prosecution justified the petition by saying that after the fatal crash the man allegedly left the scene, and that he had previously repeatedly violated traffic rules.

The suspect denied his guilt. During the hearing he expressed his condolences to the families of the dead and injured and stated that he did not violate traffic rules.

“I did everything possible and was simply driving according to the rules“.

The lawyers asked that their client be placed under house arrest. According to the defense, the investigation did not provide sufficient evidence of the Nissan driver’s involvement in the crash. The defenders also said that eyewitness accounts differ, there is no road marking on the stretch of the highway, and no braking marks from the minibus were recorded at the crash site.

In addition, the lawyers disputed the prosecution’s claims about previous traffic violations. According to them, such incidents were not systematic.

The tragedy occurred on 4 July 2026 at about 07:42 on the M-14 road “Odesa – Melitopol – Novoazovsk”, near the turn to the village of Shchaslyve in Mykolaiv district. According to the investigation, the 45-year-old driver of the Nissan Murano was traveling from Odesa toward Mykolaiv.

According to law enforcement, despite heavy traffic the crossover driver began an overtaking maneuver, moved into the oncoming lane and created a danger for a passenger Mercedes-Benz 313 CDI. The minibus driver, trying to avoid a head-on collision, went onto the shoulder, lost control, overturned and collided with a Volvo truck.

After creating the accident situation the Nissan continued driving. The vehicle was located and stopped on the exit from Mykolaiv, and the driver was detained.

As a result of the crash the 49-year-old minibus driver and 11 passengers died. Another 6 people, including a 15-year-old girl, were injured.

The man was notified of suspicion under part 3 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – violation of traffic safety rules that caused the death of several people. If his guilt is proven he faces up to 10 years in prison with deprivation of the right to drive vehicles for up to 3 years.

The suspect is presumed innocent until his guilt is proven in accordance with the law and established by a guilty verdict of the court.

Previously we wrote:

• One dangerous overtaking — 12 dead: Nissan driver charged
• “These 12 deaths are on the conscience of the organizers of healthcare”: Fedorova accused the leadership of Mykolaiv region after the crash
• After the Nissan’s maneuver into the oncoming lane near Mykolaiv the minibus overturned: 12 dead, the prosecutor’s office is investigating
• Twelve lives were taken by the crash near Mykolaiv: 5 July declared a day of mourning
• Nine dead: a route Mercedes overturned and crashed into a truck on the Odesa — Mykolaiv highway