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Over 500 drunk drivers detained in Moscow over weekend

A series of deadly road accidents in Moscow has raised the issue of toughening punishment for drunk driving
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, October 22 (Itar-Tass) — More than 500 drunk drivers have been detained in Moscow in a Drunk Driver operation, a police spokesman told Itar-Tass on Monday.

The Drunk Driver operation was held in the Russian capital city from Friday, October 19 till Monday, October 22. “A total of 508 drivers were detained for drunk driving,” the spokesman said.

According to the spokesman, as many as 248 drivers refused to take alcotests.

The operation was launched after a series of deadly road accident in Moscow caused by drunk drivers. Such cases have raised the issue of toughening punishment for drunk driving.

On September 22, a drunk driver swerved to a bus stop in Moscow’s Minskaya STreet and rammed a group of persons, killing seven. Among the fatalities were five adolescents, winners of the Moscow creativity festival for handicapped children. Police said the man had been heavily drunk. The driver himself admitted that he'd been drinking for two days before taking to the wheel. Court sanctioned his arrest. According to police, the man was stripped of his driving license for drunk driving in 2010.

Another high-profile car crash that killed renown actress Marina Golub took place on October 10 at the intersection of Moscow’s Vernadsky Avenue and Lobachevsky Street in Moscow. According to the police information, a Cadillac car, running when the red traffic light signaled to stop, rammed a Hyundai, in which Golub was. After the collision, the cars were hit by a Kia and a Lada cars. Golub and the Hyundai driver died instantly. The Cadillac driver fled the scene. The man was detained in a special operation several days after, when the police managed to decoy him from a village outside Moscow where he was hiding. He was arrested on charges of violations of traffic rules causing the death of two or more persons (part 5, article 264 of the Russian Criminal Code) and with a failure to give assistance to a person in mortal danger (article 125 of the Criminal Code).