A BMW driver has been sentenced to 5.5 years in prison for a drunk driving accident that resulted in the deaths of two people in Volyn.

The Volyn Appeal Court has issued a verdict for a 31-year-old BMW driver who caused a fatal accident while under the influence. Mykola Shyrochuk was transporting six passengers in his vehicle when he lost control and veered into a ditch. As a result, two people lost their lives. The accused did not appear at the court hearings and later left the country entirely. The first-instance court sentenced him to four years in prison. After his extradition from Poland, prosecutors insisted on a harsher penalty, leading to a sentence of 5.5 years of imprisonment.

According to the verdict dated December 17, the deadly accident occurred on September 11, 2015, near the village of Vyzhhiv in the Kovel district. Mykola Shyrochuk, who drove the BMW without a driver's license and while intoxicated, was transporting six passengers towards Volodymyr-Volynskyi. Around 11:45 PM, the accused exceeded the permitted speed limit, lost control, veered into a ditch, and overturned. As a result of the accident, two passengers died, and two others were injured.

The Lyuboml District Court found Mykola Shyrochuk guilty under part 3 of Article 286 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (violation of traffic safety rules resulting in the death of several people) and sentenced him to four years in prison, along with a three-year ban on driving vehicles. Prosecutors appealed the verdict; however, the accused did not appear for the appellate hearing and left the country on January 17, 2018. On September 8, 2022, he was placed on the international wanted list, and on August 12, 2024, he was extradited from Poland.

Taking all circumstances into account, the presiding judge of the Volyn Appeal Court, Oleg Klok, increased Mykola Shyrochuk's punishment. Instead of four years in prison, the accused received a sentence of 5 years and 6 months. The decision can still be appealed to the Supreme Court.