«I am deeply ashamed of what I did». This is what the Audi driver, who caused a fatal accident in the centre of Mykolaiv, told the court

The Central District Court of Mykolaiv has imposed a pre-trial measure on the Audi driver suspected of causing a fatal road accident in which two people died. The court remanded the man in custody without the right to bail until 19 August.

This was reported by a NikVesti correspondent from the courtroom.

It should be noted that the road traffic accident involving an Audi and a Citroën C3 occurred at around 22:15 on 20 June at a traffic-controlled junction of Tsentralnyi Avenue and Zakhysnykiv Mykolaiv Street.

The driver of the Citroën C3 died at the scene as a result of the crash. Two of her underage passengers were also injured and were hospitalised. One of them died the following day in hospital. The driver of the Audi was unharmed.

The case is being heard by Investigating Judge Olesia Deminska. The hearing was attended by Andrii Samokhvalov, a senior investigator with the Investigative Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in the Mykolaiv region; prosecutor Ivan Stoianov; and the suspect’s lawyer, Yevhen Davydenko.

Prosecutor Ivan Stoianov, reading out the application, noted that the case is being considered under Part 4 of Article 286-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine — «Violation of road safety rules or transport operation regulations by persons driving vehicles whilst intoxicated, resulting in the death of several people».

According to the prosecutor, the investigation established that the Audi driver drove through a traffic-light-controlled junction on a red light without slowing down, causing a collision with a Citroën C3.

As a result of the collision, the driver of the Citroën C3 died at the scene of the accident, whilst her underage passengers sustained injuries. One of them — a 17-year-old girl — died in hospital.

The prosecutor also submitted the statement of a witness who had seen the accident and provided the investigation team with a video recording from a dashcam mounted on his helmet.

«I also request that the statement of the shop assistant be included; she reported that the suspect had consumed a significant amount of alcohol that day,» added the prosecutor.

The prosecution requested that the suspect be remanded in custody without the right to bail.

«I request that the court impose a pre-trial measure on the suspect, Ihor Oleksandrovych Serhiienko, born in 1995, in the form of detention for a period of 60 days without the right to bail,» said prosecutor Ivan Stoianov.

According to him, the results of the examination indicate that the suspect was under the influence of alcohol. He was also brought before the administrative court in 2025 for speeding.

The suspect’s lawyer disputed the risks cited by the prosecution. He emphasised that his client had no previous criminal record, is a defender of Mariupol, was held captive by the Russians and has been serving in the military since 2015.

«My client has admitted his guilt, is cooperating with the investigation and has no previous criminal record. In view of these circumstances, we ask the court to impose a preventive measure allowing for bail,» said lawyer Yevhen Davydenko.

The suspect pleaded guilty and refused to make a statement in court. However, speaking to journalists’ cameras, he apologised to the families of the victims.

«I am so very sorry that this has happened. I am deeply ashamed of my actions; I did not know this would happen. I am so ashamed that it is simply unacceptable. Once again, I ask for your forgiveness from the bottom of my heart. I realise that this won’t change anything now. I am deeply ashamed. Please forgive me,» said the suspect.

As it emerged during the court hearing, the suspect is 31 years old. He was born and lives in the village of Krasnopillia in the Kropyvnytskyi district of the Kirovohrad region, where he is registered.

The man had travelled to Mykolaiv for the weekend in search of work and, according to him, does not have a permanent place of residence in the city. He has a university degree but is not currently officially employed. He is unmarried and has no dependants.

After a recess, Investigating Judge Olesia Deminska announced her ruling.

«The application is granted. A preventive measure in the form of detention for a period of 60 days, without setting a bail amount, shall be applied to the suspect, Ihor Oleksandrovych Serhiienko, who is suspected of committing a criminal offence, as provided for in Part 4 of Article 286-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, a preventive measure in the form of detention for a period of 60 days without setting a bail amount. The ruling shall remain in force until 19 August 2025 inclusive. The ruling may be appealed directly to the Mykolaiv Court of Appeal within five days of the date of its announcement. The ruling is subject to immediate enforcement upon announcement,» announced Judge Olesia Deminska.

Consequently, the suspect has been remanded in custody without the right to bail.

As a reminder, on 22 June, a road traffic accident involving three cars took place on Bohoiavlenskyi Avenue in Mykolaiv, in which three people were injured. Police detained the 43-year-old driver of a BMW X6, who caused the collision.