The criminal investigation into the Strășeni car accident from August, where five people died in a fire, has been completed. The driver responsible for the crash faces up to 13 years in prison. He had been banned from driving after previously being caught drunk behind the wheel. The two criminal cases - one for drunk driving and the other for causing the accident - have been merged, IPN reports.

The accident occurred on the morning of August 10. According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, the defendant, despite being prohibited from driving, got behind the wheel. On the M5 road heading toward Chisinau, with five passengers in his car, he ignored traffic regulations and attempted to overtake another vehicle in the second lane. That car, driven by a 37-year-old man with four passengers, was also in motion. To avoid a collision, both drivers swerved back to the first lane simultaneously, leading to a head-on crash.

As a result of the collision, both vehicles caught fire. Two passengers in the defendant's car - a 17-year-old girl, who was his girlfriend, and a 56-year-old woman, a hitchhiker - died at the scene. In the other car, the driver, his 32-year-old wife, and her 54-year-old mother also lost their lives.

Children were among the victims but were pulled from the two cars before the fire engulfed them. Three children aged 7, 9, and 11 sustained severe injuries, a 6-year-old suffered moderate injuries, and a 1-year-old escaped with minor injuries.