A resident of Zhytomyr was sentenced to 7 years in prison and ordered to pay 100,000 in damages for a car accident that claimed his friend's life.

In Berdichev, Zhytomyr region, a man was sentenced to 7 years in prison for driving under the influence and causing a traffic accident resulting in one death and injuries. The court also prohibited him from operating any vehicles for the same duration and ordered him to pay 100,000 hryvnias in moral damages to the victim. This information was reported by the Berdichev City District Court.

The incident occurred in June 2021 on the Berdichev-Khmelnitsky highway near the village of Myrny late at night. The accused, driving a VAZ-2105, collided with a semi-trailer of a truck that was parked on the roadside due to a mechanical failure. As a result of the accident, a passenger in the car—who was a close friend of the accused—died, and the truck driver sustained severe injuries, leading to disability.

During the court hearing, the accused partially admitted his guilt, stating that he saw the truck on the roadside but was distracted by the headlights of an oncoming vehicle when he attempted to lower the sun visor, which led to the collision with the semi-trailer. He also denied being drunk at the wheel. However, the evidence presented in court confirmed that the driver was in a state of severe alcohol intoxication (2.33 promille) and had the technical ability to avoid the collision with the stationary vehicle even at high speed, but failed to do so.

In determining the type and severity of the punishment, the court took into account, among other factors, that the accused was previously not convicted, had a minor child, committed a serious offense through negligence, partially admitted guilt, showed no remorse, did not compensate the victims for damages, and had been hiding from them and the court for an extended period. The court also considered the prison term proposed by the prosecutor.

The verdict has not yet come into effect and can be appealed in the appellate court (case No. 274/5076/21).