In Lviv region, following a fatal quad bike ride in which a 17-year-old resident of Vynnyky died, the organiser of the off-road vehicle rental has been notified of suspicion. This was reported under the procedural guidance of the Lviv Regional Prosecutor’s Office.
According to the investigation, a native of Kryvyi Rih, who is temporarily residing in Lviv, was renting out quad bikes that had technical faults. In mid-April this year, the mother of the deceased rented several off-road vehicles for a ride in a forested area near the village of Vynnychky in the Davydiv community together with her 17-year-old daughter.
The “instructor” during the trip was a minor acquaintance of the lessor. At the same time, none of the three drivers had a driving licence of the appropriate category or proven skills in operating such a vehicle. During the ride, the underage driver lost control, drove onto the roadside, after which the quad bike overturned with the girl. She died at the scene from her injuries.
An expert examination established that the lighting systems on all the quad bikes were not working, and the vehicle used by the mother of the deceased had faulty brakes. In addition, none of the off-road vehicles was registered with the Ministry of Internal Affairs service centre, which means, according to the investigation, that the lessor knowingly provided vehicles for use whose operation was prohibited.
The man from Kryvyi Rih has been notified of suspicion of violating rules, regulations and standards relating to road safety by allowing a person who had no right to drive such a vehicle to operate it, which resulted in the death of a minor (Article 287 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).
“This tragedy is a terrible reminder that safety during active leisure must come first. Everyone who makes money from renting extreme vehicles is obliged to guarantee that they are in perfect working order and to provide services lawfully. Service providers must recognise their personal responsibility for people’s safety,” commented the prosecutor in the proceedings, Dmytro Moshkov.
The pre-trial investigation in the criminal proceedings is being conducted by the Main Department of the National Police in Lviv region. In accordance with Article 62 of the Constitution of Ukraine, a person is presumed innocent of committing a crime and may not be subjected to criminal punishment until his or her guilt has been proven in the manner prescribed by law and established by a guilty verdict of a court.