Yurii Vakhniak: 'Cheerful' dad-of-two who fled war-torn Ukraine for 'better life' killed by drunk driver
JOHNSTON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: A 40-year-old father of two who was killed by a drunk driver while transporting cars on a North Carolina highway had allegedly fled war-torn Ukraine for a better life. The callous incident occurred March 13 while Yurii Vakhniak, 40, was working at his car transport company, Anastasia Services Inc, when repeat DWI offender Seydina Ndiaye, 26, fatally rammed him on US 70 in Johnston County.
"These guys work day and night to provide for their family, grow a business, and achieve the American dream," friend Alex Bloom told WNCT. "They didn’t come here to die, they came here to escape death," the Ukrainian war survivor's friend said.
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(Johnston County Sheriff’s Office)
Who was Yurii Vakhniak?
Vakhniak, a native of Ukraine, moved to Illinois with his wife Ivanka and children Anastasia and Vova after fleeing the war between Russia and Ukraine. The 40-year-old war survivor started his own transportation company, named after one of his daughters. At the time of the fateful incident, Vakhniak was on his way to Tennessee to make a car delivery when he was hit outside his three-car hauler.
Bloom described Vakhniak as a "fluffy, friendly teddy bear" and highlight how the family guy sacrificed a lot. "He was a good guy who gave everything he had to his friends and his family," Bloom said. "Like many of our Eastern European brothers and sisters, he found work in the transportation industry," GoFundMe dedicated to Vakhniak by organizer Alexander Katsman, wrote.
"He began working as a car hauler so that he could provide for his family and to grow in this country." Katsman continued, "Because Yurii was growing his business and investing in it, he didn't leave money behind for this tragic event." The money raised through the fundraising campaign will be used for the transfer of Vakhinak's body to Ukraine for burial and for his wife, the website says.
We are 'shocked that this person is still on the streets!'
The alleged killer, Ndiaye, was arrested and remains behind bars, with records showing that the suspect has a long history of traffic violations. Even at the time of the incident, the 26-year-old was driving illegally with a revoked license. He has also been charged with drunk driving three times before, most recently last year, according to the source. His other charges include driving with a revoked license and speeding in Raleigh and Clayton.
The heartbroken grieving family of Vakhniak is wondering why Ndiaye was not kept behind bars for his alleged scores of violations. "We were all kind of shocked that this person is still on the streets. We want to make sure that he doesn’t kill another one of our friends," said Bloom.