Russian national facing DUI charges in fatal Dania Beach crash makes first court appearance

DANIA BEACH, Fla. — The man arrested for allegedly causing a deadly crash was in a Broward County courtroom on Tuesday.

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Standing in front of a judge with bandages on his nose and his arm wrapped in a cast was 38-year-old Vladimir Mushenko.

The injuries were sustained in a fatal crash that occurred on July 4th along Dania Beach Boulevard.

Mushenko now faces 22 charges related to vehicular homicide, DUI and reckless driving.

Traffic homicide detectives with the Broward Sheriff’s Office say Mushenko was behind the wheel of a white BMW and speeding down Dania Beach Boulevard when he hit a curb, overcorrected, then lost control of the vehicle and slid sideways into the westbound lanes before crashing into Mercedes carrying four people, including two children.

They were all rushed to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

There were three passengers in the car with Mushenko, including Oleksii Masksymov, who was pronounced deceased at the scene, and Said Akhmedov, who died at the hospital.

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A third passenger survived and told deputies Mushenko was the driver.

In an arrest report, a deputy noted Mushenko showed signs of impairment, saying his breath smelled like alcohol, his eyes were glassy and he appeared disoriented.

Hospital staff at Broward Health Medical Center tested his blood alcohol level, with the results revealing it was more than twice the legal limit.

Prosecutors mentioned in court that Mushenko was convicted last year for careless driving.

The 38-year-old is currently being held behind bars at the Broward Main Jail on an immigration hold.

Prosecutors said the Russian national entered the country illegally in 2023 from the California border.

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