Hero policeman who shielded children from lorry crash in line for award from President

A hero policeman is in line for an award from the Russian President after bravely shielding two buses full of children from an oncoming lorry using his own car.

Dmitry Shpak, 38, risked his own life by quickly placing his patrol vehicle in the road to prevent the speeding truck careering head-on into the youngsters in western Siberia. The traffic police officer suffered serious injuries as the lorry instead ploughed into him in the accident near Nizhevartovsk, in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

Now, as he recovers in hospital, there are calls for his bravery to be recognised with a state reward from President Putin.

The incident took place at the 85km mark of the Nizhnevartovsk-Raduzhnyi highway at 6pm on December 16. Mr Shpak, a deputy commander with the Road Patrol Service, had been escorting two buses carrying 93 children, aged between nine and 16, home from the village of Novoagansk after they had attended a holiday concert. As the buses drove along the road behind the police car in Nizhnevartovsk, two trucks carrying gravel were heading down the same stretch of the highway towards them.

Seeing the lorries approaching, deputy commander Shpak moved his vehicle between them and the buses to prevent a collision. At the sight of the flashing police lights, the first truck did slow down and safely pass the convoy but the second one, travelling close behind, veered straight into the patrol car.

 
None of the children were hurt. Pictures: Russian Interior Ministry, Khanty-Mansiysk region department

The policeman’s Hyundai Solaris was severely damaged in the impact and he was taken to hospital suffering from serious injuries, including head trauma and a fractured rib. None of the children, many of whom had been sleeping, were hurt.

Colleagues praised the police officer for his actions and said it was typical of his character.

Venera Biletckaya, a road safety instructor at the Nizhnevartovsk police department, said: 'You can always ask Dmitry for help. He’s very supportive and never refuses to help. He’s very easy to work with. People like himself will always help, in any difficult or complex situation'.

Dmitry Borichevsky, the head of the traffic police division, said: 'Dmitry is a good, hard-working employee. What happened makes me respect him even more. My colleague had a second to think and make a decision. Not sparing himself, he rushed towards the truck. He saved the kids, although he got injured'.

Doctors at the Nizhnevartovsk Municipal Hospital say deputy commander Shpak has now regained consciousness but cannot say how long he will require treatment.

His wife, Elena, and two children - a school boy and a younger daughter - are awaiting news about when they will be able to take him home.

According to the press service of the Ministry of Interior in Khanty-Mansi, the policeman will be put forward for a state award. The region’s police service is preparing the relevant documentation to be sent to Moscow for President Putin to sign.