Major Accident in Aragatsotn Marz: Drunk Driver Claims He Was Talking to Pashinyan

A fatal road accident occurred today, December 19, in Aragatsotn Marz. Around 00:30, Davit Mayilyan, a 34-year-old resident of the village of Karbi, lost control of his Lada 110 vehicle with license plate B 948 HP 123 RUS on the 80th kilometer of the Yerevan-Gyumri highway. The car veered off the road, collided with concrete stones and a traffic regulation sign, and overturned several times.

According to shamshyan.com, as a result of the accident, the car's passenger, 43-year-old Avag Vardanyan from the village of Nor Kyanq in Shirak Province, died on the spot. Two other passengers, 49-year-old Seyran Gasparyan from Karbi village and 34-year-old Khachatur Genjoyan from Gyumri, were hospitalized with injuries at the Talin Medical Center.

At the decision of A. Kotanjyan, the driver was subjected to sobriety testing, which revealed that he was driving under the influence of alcohol.

A photojournalist reported that at the scene, the driver told the police and investigators that he was on his way to Gyumri from Artashat when a large truck, which had eight lights, came at him, causing him to lose control of the vehicle without realizing what had happened. Law enforcement officials asked him several times if he was the one driving the vehicle, to which he responded, “I was driving, but that truck was to blame for shining the lights in my face.” He also denied being intoxicated, despite evidence proving he was drunk.

The at-fault driver was so intoxicated that he attempted to convince the police that he was a person close to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. While on the phone, he stated, “Mr. Pashinyan, I’m not guilty; a truck just cut me off. I want to inform you that I haven’t fled and am right here.” The police told him to come forward for a vehicle inspection, to which he replied, “Don’t interrupt, I’m talking to Pashinyan.”

When asked by reporters what Pashinyan said, he responded, “He will call you.” By the order of Deputy Head of the Investigative Division A. Kotanjyan, the vehicle has been moved to a secured area of the Ashtarak division of the police.