Ukrainian family died after hitting bus - inquest

The family members had moved to Ripon to start a new life after fleeing the war in Ukraine in 2022

Members of a Ukrainian refugee family died from injuries caused when the car they were in crashed into a double decker bus, a coroner has ruled.

Daria Bartienieva, 35, her son, Ihor Bartienieva, six, and stepdaughter, Anastasiia Bartienieva, 15, all died in the collision on the A61 near South Stainley on 3 September 2023.

The family had been on their way to a hospital appointment when Ms Bartienieva failed to turn correctly on a bend and hit the bus head-on, injuring five passengers and the driver.

An inquest heard a "glare from the sun or a distraction in the car" might have caused Ms Bartienieva to cross into the opposite carriageway and hit the front of the bus.

Coroner Jonathan Leach said the crash happened when Ms Bartienieva was passing through the village of South Stainley.

"Why she entered the lane is unclear and will remain so," he added.

The impact caused Ms Bartienieva's Vauxhall Meriva to spin and also hit a Toyota Aygo travelling behind her.

North Yorkshire Police traffic sergeant Ken Riley, who investigated the crash, noted that "glare from the sun is a consideration, as is a distraction within the vehicle" were possible causes, but he could not confirm this to be the case.

Lorraine Gayle, who was driving the Toyota Aygo, said in her witness statement that she noticed Ms Bartienieva's car had a green "P" sticker on the back, which suggested she had just passed her driving test.

She said she gave her "more time and space" as a result, but added she then saw Ms Bartienieva's car "hitting the bus virtually head-on".

"It all happened in the click of a finger," she said.

Their deaths were recorded as a road traffic collision

The driver of the 36 bus, Russell King, said he had been driving along the route as usual and was left "shocked" after the bus was hit suddenly, but he said his manager told him he had still remembered to brake.

Emma Faith was travelling with her mother on the bus when she saw the car going into the side of the bus.

She recalled hearing "an almighty bang and the next thing I remember is trying to figure out why I was on the floor".

She added she put her arm around her mother to protect her during the crash.

According to Ms Bartienieva's teenage daughter, who was not in the car at the time, the family had moved to Ripon after fleeing the war in Ukraine in 2022 and initially lived with a host family before getting their own home.

She said her mother's husband had died three months before the crash.

She explained her mother had a driving licence in Ukraine and had bought a car in Leeds in August 2022, asking a family friend to take her around the local roads and small towns to familiarise herself with them.

She said her mother was a "considerate driver".

Mr Leach concluded Daria Bartienieva, Ihor Bartienieva, and Anastasiia Bartienieva, died in a road traffic collision.

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