On the morning of March 15, two trams collided on the backup of Volokolamsk Highway. According to preliminary information, one of the "Vityaz-M" trains derailed at the exit from the overpass due to a technical malfunction, after which an oncoming car crashed into it.
As a result of the accident, 22 people were injured, including five children, according to the Moscow State Traffic Inspectorate. One of the drivers was trapped in the cabin — rescuers had to unblock him. All victims are receiving the necessary medical assistance, said Dmitry Bochkov, a representative of the Moscow Metro.
He also noted that an experienced driver with 23 years of experience was driving the car. Both drivers underwent a pre-trip inspection. A special commission has been created to investigate the causes of the accident.
The Vityaz-M tram (model 71-931M) is a three-section low-floor car created by PK Transport Systems. Wagons of this model were launched on Moscow route No. 17 back in 2017. The tram is equipped with six electric motors with a total power of 432 kW, which allows it to accelerate to 40 km/h in 14 seconds. If necessary, the car is able to travel up to 1500 meters on batteries — for example, in the event of a power outage in the contact network. The minimum radius of passable curves is 14 meters.