Three members of same family died during a head-on crash with a double decker bus
Three members of a Ukrainian refugee family died when their car crashed head-on into a double decker bus, an inquest has heard.
Daria Bartienieva, 35, her son, Ihor Bartienieva, six, and stepdaughter, Anastasiia Bartienieva, 15, were killed while travelling on the A61 from their adopted North Yorkshire home of Ripon to a hospital appointment in Harrogate.
The family had been in the UK for more than a year after fleeing the war with Russia.
An inquest heard “glare from the sun or a distraction in the car” may have caused Ms Bartienieva to cross into the opposite carriageway and hit the front of a bus.
Coroner Jonathan Leach said as she passed through the village of South Stainley, near Ripley, Ms Bartienieva failed to negotiate a bend, carrying on straight ahead into oncoming traffic rather than turning.
The inquest heard five people on the bus were injured, including the driver, and Ms Bartienieva’s Vauxhall Meriva was pushed back into her lane by the impact of the crash, causing it to collide with a Toyota Aygo which was travelling behind her.
She and the two children were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on September 3 2023.
Emma Faith, who was on the 36 bus with her mother after having lunch in Harrogate, said she saw a silver car going into their side “on the wrong side of the road”.
In a statement read by Mr Leach, Ms Faith said: “The impact was deafening. There was an almighty bang and the car hit us … The next thing I remember is trying to figure out why I was on the floor.”
Lorraine Gayle, who was driving the Toyota Aygo, said Ms Bartienieva’s car had a green “P” sticker on the back, indicating a newly-qualified driver.
Her statement read: “As an experienced driver, I was giving her more time and space.”
Ms Gayle described seeing Ms Bartienieva’s car “hitting the bus virtually head-on”.
A statement from Ms Bartienieva’s teenage daughter, who was not in the car at the time, said her mother did accountancy work in Ukraine before moving to the UK in June 2022 because of the Russian invasion.
The girl said they lived with a host family in Ripon and “settled into the community”.
She said Ms Bartienieva’s husband died three months before the crash, in June 2023.
The girl said 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 by the time the crash happened Ms Bartienieva had been driving in the UK for about a year, was a “considerate driver” and “very familiar” with that stretch of road.
North Yorkshire Police traffic sergeant Ken Riley, who investigated the crash, said it was caused by Ms Bartienieva driving into the opposite carriageway.
He told the inquest the reason for this is not known, but “glare from the sun is a consideration, as is a distraction within the vehicle”.
Mr Leach recorded a conclusion that Ms Bartienieva, Ihor Bartienieva and Anastasiia Bartienieva died in a road traffic collision.