The driver of the Subaru was sentenced to 6 years in prison.
According to data presented in the State Register of Judicial Acts, 32-year-old Mirlan [name changed A.M.M.], born on February 5, 1992, and a native of the city of Tokmok in the Chuy region, worked as an engineer in a construction company and had no prior convictions. He found himself in the dock for violating traffic rules, which led to serious consequences.
On that day, around 15:30, while driving a Subaru Outback, Mirlan, traveling along the bypass road Bishkek–Naryn–Torugart at the 50.217 kilometer mark, committed several violations of traffic rules. He did not comply with clauses 1.3, 9.4, and 10.1, which require drivers to be attentive to road signs and traffic conditions.
The investigation established that Mirlan crossed the lane marking, which led to a collision with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter driven by Sh.T., also traveling westward.
After the first impact, the Subaru ended up in the oncoming lane, where a second collision occurred with a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter driven by A.M.S. Subsequently, this minibus collided with a Toyota Camry, which at the time of the accident had a fake state license plate, as well as with a Toyota Voxy driven by E.E.
As a result of the accident, the following individuals died:
- driver of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter Sh.T., born in 1992;
- passenger J.E., born in 1992;
- passenger Sh.E.T., born in 2015;
- passenger — Sh.E.T., born in 2023;
- passenger J.D.K., born in 1958;
- driver of the Toyota Camry S.B.A., born in 1999;
- passenger N.A., born in 1996.
Passengers of the Toyota Camry A.G.A., born in 1985, T.K.R., born in 2016, and passenger of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter T.A.N., born in 1994, were also injured.
According to information provided by the Main Department of Road Traffic Safety of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, on September 1, 2024, at 15:20, a collision involving five vehicles occurred on the 51 km of the highway: Subaru Outback, two Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, Toyota Camry, and Toyota Voxy. Preliminary data suggests that the front left tire of the Subaru burst, which caused the driver to lose control.
By the verdict of the Issyk-Ata District Court dated September 25, 2025, Mirlan was found guilty under part 3 of Article 312 of the Criminal Code ("Violation of traffic safety rules and operation of vehicles, resulting in particularly serious harm through negligence") and received a sentence of 6 years in prison, as well as a 2-year ban on driving, with the punishment to be served in a general regime correctional colony.
The term of punishment will begin on January 25, 2025. During the period of pre-trial detention from this date until September 25, 2025, the accounting is conducted according to the rules whereby one day in custody counts as two days of imprisonment.
According to Article 82 of the Criminal Code, he was granted probation for a period of 3 years with a 2-year deprivation of the right to drive vehicles.
The measure of restraint for Mirlan was changed from detention to a written undertaking not to leave, and he was released in the courtroom.
However, on November 25, 2025, the judicial panel on criminal cases of the Chuy Regional Court changed the verdict. The probation and supervisory requirements were removed from the dispositive part. In the courtroom, Mirlan was again taken into custody, and the term of punishment will begin on November 25, 2025, while other aspects of the decision remained unchanged.
The lawyer representing Mirlan's interests insisted in the cassation appeal that the verdicts of both instances be overturned, citing insufficient evidence of his guilt.
He argued that the prosecution was not substantiated during the trial and that the defense's arguments were ignored. The lawyer believed that the investigation's conclusions about Mirlan crossing the lane marking were not confirmed, as the location of the initial collision was not established, and no evidence of braking was found.
The panel of the Supreme Court, having reviewed all the case materials, upheld the verdicts of the Issyk-Ata District Court dated September 25, 2025, and the Chuy Regional Court dated November 25, 2025, on January 28, 2026. The lawyer's cassation appeal was rejected. This decision is final and not subject to appeal.
