A Russian captain, Vladimir Motin, has appeared in a UK court charged with gross negligence manslaughter over the crash of his container ship into a US tanker off Britain’s east coast. The collision occurred on Monday morning and resulted in the death of one Filipino crew member, Mark Angelo Pernia.
Motin, 59, was in charge of the Solong when it hit the Stena Immaculate tanker carrying military jet fuel. Prosecutors allege that Motin failed to take adequate measures to avoid a collision, despite being aware of the Stena Immaculate’s stationary position for over 40 minutes prior to the incident.
The investigation revealed that the Solong was traveling at a speed of over 15 knots when it collided with the anchored ship. There were no communication attempts made by the Solong crew to warn of the impending collision, and Motin did not adjust his course or speed accordingly.
All crew members from both ships were rescued, but Pernia’s body was not found until after the incident. The collision caused a significant explosion and spilled jet fuel into the sea, prompting initial concerns of an environmental disaster. However, assessments later showed that the jet fuel had burned off, and no other leaks were detected.
Motin will remain in custody without bail as he faces the charges related to his role in the tragic accident.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/russian-captain-involved-us-tanker-crash-appears-uk-court-2025-03-15