Charges of False Accusation Filed in Case of Car Accident That Resulted in Four Deaths

The Investigation Department of the Armenian Investigative Committee is conducting an inquiry to clarify all circumstances surrounding a fatal accident that occurred on Isakov Avenue.

During the pre-trial investigation, extensive investigative actions have revealed several aspects of the incident. The accident took place on December 26, 2018, around 11:30 PM in Yerevan, on Admiral Isakov Avenue, when a Lexus vehicle collided with a concrete divider, veered into the opposite lane, and struck a Mercedes vehicle. As a result, the driver of the Mercedes, Edward Kocharyan, and passenger Nver Melkonyan died on the spot, while another passenger of the same Mercedes and two individuals in the Lexus sustained injuries and were taken to Astghik Medical Center, where two of the injured also succumbed to their injuries.

In connection with the incident, a criminal case was initiated under the third part of Article 242 of the RA Criminal Code by the Traffic Accident Investigation Department of the Yerevan Investigative Division of the Investigative Committee.

Simultaneously, on January 8, 2019, a report was received at the Mashtots Division of the RA Police regarding the theft of a Lexus vehicle owned by a citizen. During the preparation of materials, it was clarified that the aforementioned Lexus involved in the accident belonged to the citizen who reported the theft. A criminal case was initiated regarding this fact under the second part of Article 183 of the RA Criminal Code and was sent to the Investigative Division of the Ajapnyak and Davtashen administrative districts of the Yerevan Investigative Committee for further investigation.

A decision was made to consolidate the mentioned criminal cases and conduct a joint investigation in the Traffic Accident Investigation Department of the Yerevan Investigative Division to ensure a comprehensive, complete, and objective inquiry.

During the pre-trial investigation, extensive investigative and other procedural actions were carried out, as well as operational-search measures. Inspections of the accident scene, and the Lexus and Mercedes-Benz vehicles were conducted, interviews were held, and recordings from surveillance cameras present at the scene were seized and examined.

To clarify significant circumstances of the criminal case, comprehensive forensic tests were appointed, including forensic medical, forensic auto-technical, forensic traceological, forensic material scientific, forensic fiber, and forensic biological examinations, the conclusions of which have been received.

As a result, it was revealed that one of the injured individuals in the Lexus, born in 1989, who initially had the procedural status of a witness in the criminal case, understanding that the information provided by him was false, in order to evade criminal responsibility, provided misleading testimony, claiming that he was not driving the Lexus at the time of the accident, but rather another individual who was also a passenger in the same vehicle and had died in the hospital.

Based on the sufficient evidence obtained, charges were filed against the man born in 1989 under the first part of Article 333 of the RA Criminal Code. The investigator has submitted a motion to the court to select detention as a measure of restraint against him, which has been granted. The pre-trial investigation continues.