Kyiv Crash: Taxi Passenger's Testimony Challenges Official Narrative
A taxi passenger named Yuliia Volkovska has publicly refuted claims that driver Pavlo Pleshivtsev suffered a medical emergency before a catastrophic collision on June 5 near Karavaievi Dachi in Kyiv. According to Volkovska, the driver ignored her pleas, was distracted by his phone, and recklessly accelerated. The incident occurred around 5:30 PM at the intersection of Vadym Hetman and Ushynsky streets in the Solomianskyi district.
Volkovska, who is being discharged from the hospital today, stated she is unable to walk due to multiple fractures and has undergone surgery. The driver, Pavlo Pleshivtsev, born in 1976, is a resident of the Kherson region and leads a congregation of Evangelical Christian Baptists in the village of Pidstepne. At the time of the crash, he was sober but sustained injuries requiring hospitalization.
The collision claimed four lives, including two police officers from the Solomianskyi police department: 24-year-old Senior Lieutenant Dmytro Bondarchuk and 21-year-old Lieutenant Denys Budchenko, who were on duty. Among the deceased were also a woman and a 12-year-old boy, Hryhorii Hlushych. Additionally, three other individuals sustained injuries.
Yuliia Volkovska's Account
Yuliia Volkovska: 'He was joking around. I got into the taxi and sat in the front passenger seat. We exchanged a lighthearted comment about children. We pulled away, and within just a few minutes, he started speeding up for no apparent reason, weaving through traffic, overtaking, and swerving like something out of a cartoon or a racing game.'
The Mercedes-Benz C300 involved in the crash has a record of 39 traffic violations. In 2025 alone, the driver was cited five times for speeding and other infractions. In March 2026, he was involved in another accident that resulted in no casualties.
The Kyiv City Prosecutor's Office has launched a pre-trial investigation under Article 286, Part 3 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, which carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
Yuliia Volkovska further recounted: 'I didn't react at first because I needed to answer a message on my phone. I looked down. Someone also called him. He picked up his phone from the dashboard. I don't remember him putting it back. He answered the call. Then I noticed the mirror on my side had flown off. I said, 'What are you doing?' He paid no attention to me.'
In conclusion, the driver did not lose consciousness and kept gripping the steering wheel, ignoring the passenger. This crash has sparked significant public outrage and prompted swift action from law enforcement.
This incident underscores the critical need for traffic rule compliance and driver accountability for passenger and road user safety. The tragic fatalities have fueled public anger, raising questions about monitoring drivers with a history of violations. The ongoing investigation by the prosecutor's office may serve as a crucial step toward preventing similar tragedies in the future.
The tragic incident near Kyiv is reminiscent of another recent crash that resulted in multiple fatalities, highlighting ongoing concerns about road safety in the area. In a separate case, a Mercedes driver plunged into an underground passage, claiming four lives. Such events underscore the urgent need for stricter traffic regulations and awareness among drivers. To read more about the deadly consequences of reckless driving, see our coverage of the recent underground passage incident.