Troopers: Teen Killed After Refusing To Ride With Drunk Driver

Woman Killed After Refusing Ride With Drunk Driver (Added: November 04, 2009)

Troopers say a young woman was hit and killed after refusing to ride with a man who had been drinking. (more)

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Troopers: Teen Killed After Refusing To Ride With Drunk Driver

A 19-year-old hit and killed by a truck near Greer early Sunday refused to ride with an intoxicated driver after a party, authorities said. But the victim's sister says that's not true.

By: Chris Cato | WSPA-TV
Published: November 04, 2009

Authorities say the young woman who killed near Greer refused a ride with a drunk driver moments before the accident. But the victim's sister who witnessed the accident tells a different story.

Viktoriya Melnik, 19, was hit by a passing truck on Highway 357 around 1:30am Sunday. Lance Corporal Kathy Hiles of the Highway Patrol says Melnik had just left a Halloween party and refused to ride with a friend who had been drinking, instead choosing to walk home. Investigators say she was in the roadway when a truck hit her. The driver of the truck was not charged with anything because investigators say he was not speeding and could not avoid hitting Melnik.

Melnik's sister, Irena Melnik, tells a different story. She says Viktoriya got in the car, but then decided to get out because she and Irena and a friend got into an argument.

"She hated drama," said Irena Melnik. "Whenever people start fighting, she just walks out of the room. So when she got out of the car, I thought she would cool off and come back."

She says she watched as her younger sister walked along the side of the road.

"She was not in the road, she was on the side of it," said Irena Melnik during an interview outside her father's Inman home.

She says she watched in horror as the truck came along and hit her sister. She says it's hard to believe the vehicle was not speeding because the speed limit is only 25 miles an hour on that stretch of Highway 357.

"I just heard a big sound, I got out of the car, it was raining, it was pouring rain and I was trying to find her," said Irena through tears. "I was screaming, I just remember the ambulance coming, and I just couldn't find her."

Anatoliy Matev, 22, the driver who troopers say Melnik refused to ride with, was charged with DUI First Offense. Investigators say the driver of the truck that hit Melnik was distracted by Matev's car parked on the opposite side of the road.

Melnik will be laid to rest on Thursday. She attended Chapman High School in 2008, but she did not graduate, according to Spartanburg District 1 officials.