Another colleague and perhaps best friend of Pasha, singer-songwriter Mariya Neikova, barely made it out alive. In panic, she quickly made a dash for safety, tearing one of her calves badly (which had gotten pierced by a metal rod in the crash), fled and jumped from a great height (around 10 meters). She survived but was severely injured. She had fractured her ribs and some of her vertebrae, and had over 40 stitches done on her legs. It was her birthday. For many years after the disaster, she did not celebrate her birthday, feeling guilt for having survived only because of switching seats with Pasha. In addition to this, Maria's husband was also among the ones who died in the crash.