Former Investigator Of Gongadze, Yushchenko Cases Dies In Car Crash

Media reports in Ukraine say a former investigator of high-profile cases, including the murder of independent journalist Heorhiy Gongadze and the alleged dioxin poisoning of former President Viktor Yushchenko, has died in a car crash.

The "Segodnya" newspaper, which initially reported Roman Shubin's death, said preliminary information suggested that Shubin, 57, had suffered a heart attack behind the wheel, causing him to strike a truck.

He died on impact, the report said.

Shubin led the investigation into Gongadze's 2000 murder, which sparked protests against the government of then-President Leonid Kuchma.

He also investigated Yushchenko's alleged poisoning, which caused long-term disfigurement, during the 2004 election campaign.

Shubin was head of the prosecutor-general's investigative department for high-profile cases, but several years ago he had asked to be transferred to another position.

Based on reporting by Unian, pravda.com.ua, and segodnya.ua