A 47-year-old Russian national faces unintentional murder charges after crashing his car into two motorbikes travelling in the opposite direction, leaving a 7-year-old girl dead and six others injured yesterday in Preah Sihanouk province.

Gleb Kasyanov, who was staying in Sihanoukville, was arrested after the incident, said Yorng Bros, Prey Nop district traffic police deputy chief. It was raining as Kasyanov’s car allegedly veered onto the wrong side of the road on a curve on National Road 4 in Trapang Mol village in Prey Nop district and hit the motorbikes.

“A 7-year-old student, Touch Sreynit, died at the site and six other people were injured, including the girl’s mother and her siblings, a police official and two students,” he said.

Kasyanov faces “unintentional murder” charges because he was driving carelessly, causing death, injuries and damage to property, said Choun Narin, chief at Preah Sihanouk provincial police station. He’s scheduled to be sent to provincial court this morning.

Prey Nop district police chief Mut Sokha was one of the injured victims, Bros said. The victims were sent to a private clinic, Li Kemdy, and a hospital in Phnom Penh. The victims’ motorbikes and the Toyota Ford Runner were im-pounded at the district police station, he added.

Kasyanov told police that he was only driving 40 kilometres an hour as he had two friends with him in the car, Bros said.

He also said there wasn’t clear visibility because of the rain and he couldn’t see the curve ahead, said Ih Sokha, Preah Sihanouk provincial deputy police chief in charge of order and traffic.