In Kyiv, a Baptist pastor caused a fatal traffic accident that claimed the lives of four people

On the evening of June 5, 2026, a major traffic accident occurred in Kyiv, resulting in the deaths of four people, including police officers and a minor. The tragedy was caused by the leader of a Protestant community, who lost control of his vehicle while driving at high speed and crashed into the entrance to an underpass.

According to FOCUS.UA, the incident occurred at the intersection of Vadym Hetman and Konstantin Ushynsky streets. The 49-year-old driver veered off the road, resulting in the instant death of four people. Among the dead were two police officers on duty and a 12-year-old boy. Three other pedestrians sustained injuries of varying severity.

The driver of the vehicle was Pavel Valerievich Pleshivtsev, a native of Kherson and head of the Evangelical Christian Baptist religious community “Church of the Village of Podstepnoye.” After rescuers extricated Pleshivtsev from the mangled vehicle, he was taken to the intensive care unit. At this time, the man is in law enforcement custody directly at the medical facility.

During the preliminary investigation, it became known that the Baptist leader had systematically violated traffic laws. In the first half of 2026 alone, Pleshivtsev was involved in four accidents and was repeatedly cited for speeding. Following the fatalities, the prosecutor’s office launched a pre-trial investigation.