City Bus Crashes Into St. Petersburg Bus Stop, Killing Woman

A woman was killed when a city bus crashed into a bus stop in St. Petersburg, Russian media reported Friday afternoon.

The bus driver apparently lost control while making a turn, ramming into passenger vehicles, another bus and a bus stop, transportation authorities told the state-run news agency TASS. Local news outlet Fontanka identified the victim as a woman in her 50s.

According to Fontanka, the bus driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. The city bus operator said the driver had passed a medical inspection before going on duty that day.

“The work-rest schedule was observed,” the company Domtransavto was quoted as saying by Fontanka.

The news outlet identified the driver as a 55-year-old native of the southern Russian republic of Dagestan with 16 years of driving experience. The driver has worked for Domtransavto since 2022.

St. Petersburg police said they were working to establish the circumstances of the crash.

The city branch of Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said it launched a preliminary inquiry into safety violations.

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