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Five Killed As SUV Plows Into Crowd In Ukraine's Kharkiv; Extremism Not Suspected


In charging the driver with safety violations, the police statement appeared to be ruling out any extremist involvement in the crash.
In charging the driver with safety violations, the police statement appeared to be ruling out any extremist involvement in the crash.

Five people have been killed after a car plowed into a crowd of pedestrians in Kharkiv, Ukraine's Interior Ministry said in a statement that cited traffic-safety violations rather than an extremist plot or terrorist link.

The ministry said on Facebook that six others were hurt. Police spokesman Yaroslav Trakalo told the Ukrayinska Pravda news site that two women were in "very serious" condition.

The Interior Ministry said the female driver of the SUV that hit the pedestrians was detained and a criminal case involving driving safety violations was launched.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, the statement said.

In charging the woman with safety violations, the police statement appeared to be ruling out any extremist involvement in the crash.

Vans, cars, and trucks have been used as weapons for terror attacks in London, Berlin, Nice, and other European cities.

Photographs published on various Ukrainian news sites showed the wreckage of a black SUV scattered across a crosswalk where the crash occurred.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP

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