Ambulance driver fatally ran over a pedestrian in Mykolaiv: 5 years suspended sentence

The ambulance driver who fatally injured a pedestrian on Central Avenue in Mykolaiv was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment, but was released from serving the sentence with a two-year probationary period. The man’s right to drive vehicles was retained. This decision was made by the Zavodskyi District Court of Mykolaiv. According to reyestr.court.gov.ua.

The circumstances of the crash and the imposed sentence are set out in the published court verdict. The collision occurred on 23 August 2025 at approximately 20:30. A Peugeot Boxer was traveling along Central Avenue from Ryumina Street toward Hlib Babich Street. The crew was responding to an urgent call: a person unconscious needed to be hospitalized. The ambulance had blue flashing lights activated.

Near house No. 26 the driver saw a pedestrian crossing the roadway outside a designated crossing. The court concluded that after the danger arose the driver did not reduce speed in time to a full stop and struck the person.

The victim suffered severe head injuries, fractures of the left humerus and ribs, and internal organ damage. He was taken to the hospital, but on 1 September 2025 he died from his injuries.

According to the circumstances established by the court, the ambulance was traveling at approximately 69–70 km/h. The vehicle-technical expert examination determined the speed before braking more precisely — about 68.98–70.13 km/h. Experts indicated that the driver had the technical ability to avoid the crash and that his actions were causally linked to the accident.

The technical condition of the vehicle was not a cause of the collision. The court found that at the time of the impact the ambulance was serviceable: experts did not find defects in the chassis, steering, braking system, or headlights that could have caused the accident.

In court the driver admitted guilt. He explained that he turned on the flashing lights after setting off for the call. According to him, the pedestrian suddenly stepped onto the road and did not respond to the siren and emergency braking. After the collision the crew provided first aid to the injured person and called an additional ambulance crew.

Members of the crew also testified in court. They confirmed that the person appeared on the roadway unexpectedly and did not react to the vehicle’s signal. However, these circumstances did not remove the driver’s responsibility for violating traffic rules.

The court qualified his actions under Part 2 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — violation of traffic safety rules or operation of transport by a person operating a vehicle that caused the death of the victim.

Mitigating circumstances were admission of guilt and sincere remorse. The court also took into account a positive reference from his workplace and found no circumstances that would aggravate the punishment. The release from serving the imposed sentence was applied pursuant to Article 75 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

The convicted man was ordered to pay UAH 14,262.40 for the costs of the expert examination. The seizure of the Peugeot Boxer was canceled, and the vehicle was ordered to be returned to its owner.

The verdict is not yet final: the parties have the right to appeal it within 30 days.

Earlier we wrote:

• He killed a person but won’t go to jail: in Mykolaiv the driver received a suspended sentence
• Fatal collision in Mykolaiv: a Mykolaivoblenergo driver received 4 years suspended; the widow was denied compensation
• Fatal road accident in Mykolaiv: a 75-year-old woman was killed under a car’s wheels
• Two dead — and zero remorse: an Infiniti driver received 7 years. Video
• An ambulance in Mykolaiv hit a pedestrian who crossed the road outside a crosswalk