In the Volgograd region, the court sentenced the perpetrator of an accident with 7 dead

The Mikhailovsky district court sentenced the 45-year-old driver, finding him guilty of violating traffic rules and operating a vehicle that caused the death of seven people by negligence (paragraph “a” of part 6 of Art. 264 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation).

The tragedy occurred on January 8, 2026 at the 763rd kilometer of the R-22 Caspian highway. The driver in a state of drug intoxication was carrying cargo on a truck with a trailer. Due to the strong wear of the tread, a pneumatic explosion of the front left wheel tire occurred - the driver lost control of the car and drove to the oncoming lane, where he collided with a passenger car. The accident killed the driver and six passengers of the car.

In court, the man pleaded not guilty, insisting that the incident was an accident, and he was sober. However, the court considered the evidence, the testimony of witnesses and the conclusions of examinations sufficient to find him guilty.

It is especially noted that before the flight, the driver did not check the technical condition of the truck – in particular, he did not inspect the treads of the front tires, although this could be done visually, without special knowledge.

The court sentenced the man to 10 years in prison with serving in a colony-settlement, and also deprived him of the right to drive vehicles for 2 years. In addition, more than 16 million rubles were recovered from the convict. This amount includes compensation for moral damage and expenses for burial in favor of loved ones of the victims.

The sentence has not yet entered into force and can be appealed on appeal.