M5 road crash leaves passenger dead in Strășeni District
A serious M5 road crash involving a passenger minibus and a car occurred in Strășeni District on Wednesday morning, leaving one woman dead and more than ten people injured. According to the General Inspectorate of Police, the collision happened at around 07:10 between Codreanca and Bravicea.
Preliminary police information indicates that a 34-year-old woman driving a Skoda crossed into the oncoming lane and collided with a Mercedes passenger minibus driven by a 53-year-old man. The impact caused the minibus to turn upside down.
A 49-year-old female passenger in the minibus died at the scene before an ambulance arrived. Police said the minibus driver and nine other passengers were taken to hospital with multiple injuries, while alcohol tests carried out on both drivers returned negative results.
Three patients required emergency surgery
The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova later said that 12 people injured in the M5 road crash had been taken to an emergency hospital. Three patients in serious condition required urgent surgery, while another hospitalised patient was diagnosed with a spinal injury.
A child who suffered chest and abdominal injuries was transferred to the Institute of Mother and Child in Chișinău for specialised medical treatment. The authorities have not yet provided further information on the condition of those injured.
The M5 is one of Moldova’s key transport routes, connecting Chișinău with the northern regions of the country. In February, Inima Moldovei leader Irina Vlah criticised what she described as insufficient funding for the road sector, saying the authorities had cut road maintenance spending by 800 million lei in 2026.
Vlah argued that inadequate investment increased the risk of accidents and vehicle damage. The authorities have not said whether the condition of the road surface may have contributed to Wednesday’s M5 road crash.
