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Investigators release details of car crash involving former Sverdlovsk region governor

The investigations ascertained "improper escort" by police
Screenchot Russia 24
Screenchot Russia 24

YEKATERINBURG, May 16 (Itar-Tass) — The department of the Investigation Committee /SK/ for the Sverdlovsk region on Wednesday released the details of the car crash involving former Sverdlovsk region governor Alexander Misharin.

"Due to the appearance of controversial data on the circumstances of this road accident, we officially provide the following additional information," the SK said on its website.

"On December 1, 2011, Misharin's driver Dmitry Cherkasov, steering A Mercedes S500 in good working order, violated traffic rules at the 206th kilometre of the Yekaterinburg-Serov highway. As a result, the governor’s car collided head-on with a Volga-Siber driven by a 65-year-old man.

“The Volga-Siber driver died of his injuries, and the governor and his driver /the defendant/ were serious injured,” the SK's statement said.

Cherkasov was driving the vehicle at over 90 kilometers an hour, thus exceeding the speed limit at this stretch of the road; he also did not keep the distance between his car and the police escort ahead, an Audi-A4 patrol car.

Therefore, he lost himself the technical opportunity to pull down and avoid ramming into the Audi A4. Cherkasov did not notice on time the police escort car decelerating; in order to avoid collision with the Audi-A4, and in violation of traffic rules, he steered the car to the left, hitting the his car on the rear part of the police escort car, and then collided with the Volga-Siber.

The investigations also ascertained "improper escort" by police. The SK department instructed head of the Interior Ministry’s department for the Sverdlovsk region Mikhail Borodin to eliminate the conditions which had contributed to the commission of the crime.