Two police officers are suspected of concealing circumstances of fatal road traffic accident involving 17-year-old cyclist in Khmelnytskyi region. PHOTO
In the Khmelnytskyi region, two police officers have been charged with concealing the circumstances of a fatal road traffic accident involving a 17-year-old cyclist.
This was reported by Censor.NET, citing the press centre of the Office of the Prosecutor General.
The cyclist died at the scene
According to the investigation, on 18 January 2026, a car struck a teenage boy who was riding a bicycle. He died at the scene from his injuries.
Two inspectors from the Shepetivka District Police Department were the first to arrive at the scene of the accident. They were tasked with securing the scene of the accident and preserving the initial scene – the position of the car, skid marks, debris and other evidence.
The police officers allowed important evidence to be lost
However, according to the investigation, the police officers failed to secure the scene properly, allowed important evidence to be lost and facilitated the repositioning of the car involved in the accident. This could have complicated the establishment of the actual circumstances of the accident.
Separately, the investigation is looking into the fact that body cameras were switched off. According to preliminary data, the officers deliberately switched off their body cameras at the scene. The recordings could have captured the initial actions following the accident, the driver’s condition and other important details.
The driver was not tested for intoxication
Furthermore, the driver was not tested for alcohol or other intoxication immediately after the accident.
Two inspectors have been notified of suspicion under Part 1 of Article 396 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine – concealment of a particularly serious crime. The issue of imposing preventive measures and suspending them from their posts is currently being decided.
The driver of the car has already been sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment for breaching road safety regulations whilst under the influence of alcohol, resulting in the death of a minor. A forensic toxicological examination found 1.73 per mille of alcohol in his blood. The public prosecution in the case against the driver was led by the head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Prosecutor’s Office, who headed the team of prosecutors in these criminal proceedings.
