The maniac camp counselor who drove five youths to their deaths in the Catskills had her license suspended for speeding at 107 mph – and climbed behind the wheel even though a parent begged that she be banned from chauffeur duty.
Irina Mironova, 25, who also died in the crash, was racing so wildly with a carload of children from the Atlanta Dance Camp that two witnesses called 911 to report her driving out of control – one saw her going at least 80 mph and another spotted her passing at high speeds on the shoulder.
Within minutes of the calls, she crossed the double yellow line on Route 17B in Sullivan County and rammed into an oncoming dump truck.
The 1994 Toyota Celica was crushed beneath the hulking hauler in an explosion of steel, blood and body parts.
“This is my 35th year in law enforcement, and I have never seen an accident of this magnitude,” said Sgt. Don Prince of the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department.
The mother of a 14-year-old girl who attended the Fallsburg camp – which has now been shut down for the summer – told The Post her daughter complained about Mironova’s dangerous driving habits, and that she reported the girl’s fears to camp owner Anna Kapitannikova – whose own son died in the horrific crash – on the eve of the crash.
“My daughter . . . said she was afraid to get in the car with Irina because she drove too fast and my daughter didn’t feel safe,” said the shaken mom.
“On Tuesday I called five or six times, trying to get Anna,” she said yesterday. “I left messages. I was hysterical, frantic with worry. I couldn’t sleep – I just had a very bad feeling.”
Kapitannikova, a Brooklyn resident and former Russian ballerina, started the summer dance camp about six years ago. It charged about $1,800 a month per camper and catered mostly to the Russian immigrant community.
She returned the worried mom’s call on the eve of the tragedy.
“She told me, ‘Why are you worrying?’ ” the mom said. ” ‘Don’t worry, the kids are all OK. The counselors have been driving them for a long time. The children are safe.’ “
But they were anything but safe. Mironova, who lived in Florida after emigrating from Russia, had lost her license after getting busted on May 7 in St. Lucie County for driving 107 mph in a 70-mph zone, Florida officials said.
“This was murder,” said one outraged camp father. “That counselor got in that car, drove recklessly and took five lives. And Anna allowed her to get behind the wheel.”
In addition to Mironova – a former Russian volleyball player in her first year working at the camp – the list of dead included:
* Illya Kapitannikova, 16, of Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. He was the son of the camp’s owner and a promising ballroom dancer, who pals said won more than 40 medals in competitions in England, France and Florida.
Illya “could have been like a Baryshnikov,” said Alex Barinsky, the dad of a friend of the tragic teen. “He had a big, big future.”
* Igor Golovunin, 16, of Ocean Avenue in Brooklyn, who was best pals with Illya.
* Gabrielle Soybelman, 12, of Ocean Court in Brooklyn. “I love my daughter,” said devastated dad Boris as he choked back tears.
* Natoliy Cheremnykh, 14, of Owings Mills, Md. His mother and brother were dazed yesterday after identifying his body. “I just can’t believe it,” said his shaken mom.
* Masha Fishman, 14, of Edison, N.J. “She was a great girl. This is irresponsible, stupid behavior,” said her devastated aunt, Regina Fishman.
Camp owner Kapitannikova, meanwhile, was put on suicide watch at a Catskills hospital, a pal said.
Additional reporting by Brigitte Stelzer and John Doyle