KIEV, June 26 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and seven others injured in a road accident in Ukraine's Rivne region on Monday evening, the National Police said Tuesday in a statement.

The accident occurred on the Kiev-Kovel state highway when a car hit a passenger minibus, causing the latter to move into the opposite lane and crash into a heavy truck.

The crash killed two passengers and the driver of the minibus on the spot. Eight people were hospitalized, with a 36-year-old man among them dying in the hospital and two in grave condition, according to local healthcare officials.

The police are investigating the accident. The 20-year-old driver of the car involved has been detained.

By the end of May this year, a total of 988 people had been killed and 10,146 injured in traffic accidents in Ukraine.