Deadly Traffic Accident in Kyiv: Kindergarten Employee Iryna Lazareva Among the Victims
Kyiv • UNN
Kindergarten employee Iryna Lazareva was killed in a traffic accident on Chokolivskyi Boulevard. A Mercedes driver killed four people after crashing into an underground pedestrian crossing.
As a result of a fatal traffic accident on Chokolivskyi Boulevard in Kyiv, kindergarten employee Iryna Lazareva was killed. She is survived by her son. This was reported by the institution where the woman worked, according to UNN.
It is with deep sadness that we inform you that on June 5, 2026, our colleague Iryna Lazareva died as a result of a tragic accident on Chokolivskyi Boulevard. Iryna was a kind, sincere, and responsive person, respected by her colleagues and loved by the children. Her untimely death is a heavy loss for our entire team,
It is reported that the woman is survived by a son.
As a reminder
A 49-year-old driver was notified of suspicion of violating traffic safety rules that caused the death of four people. The driver's actions are qualified under Part 3 of Art. 286 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
It was established that on June 5, 2026, at around 5:00 p.m., the driver, operating a Mercedes-Benz vehicle, was traveling along Chokolivskyi Boulevard at an excessive speed. On a curved section of the road, he drove off the roadway and crashed into an underpass where people were present.
As a result of the accident, four pedestrians – two district police officers, a woman, and a 12-year-old boy – died on the spot. Three other people sustained physical injuries.
The driver himself sustained physical injuries that do not pose a threat to his life. He was detained and held under guard in a hospital ward. It was established that at the time of the accident, the man was sober, the prosecutor's office stated.
As the prosecutor's office noted, "at the same time, since January 2025, he has been brought to administrative responsibility 5 times for speeding, and fined another 5 times for other traffic violations. That is, in total, the driver has 10 fines over the last 1.5 years."
As UNN reported, the driver of the car was a 49-year-old native of the Kherson region, a leader of a Baptist church, who had been repeatedly held accountable for speeding and causing traffic accidents.
The Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv remanded in custody the Mercedes driver who struck and killed four people in an underpass in Kyiv, without the possibility of posting bail.