Driver Who Hit Pregnant Woman with Car Should Have Stopped and Provided Assistance - Ombudsman

The incident involving the tragic death of a pregnant woman due to a hit-and-run has drawn significant public attention, and the Office of the Human Rights Defender will monitor the proceedings to ensure that the responsible party is held accountable. This was stated by Human Rights Defender Kristine Grigoryan.

“Since a criminal act has taken place according to the Criminal Code, we sent a letter to the Prosecutor General's Office the same day to inquire about the specifics of the process and to keep this issue under our supervision,” said the Defender.

“As someone who has been extensively involved in police reforms and has paid special attention to the specificities of accompanying services from a functional standpoint, I must say that around the world, the role of accompanying services often faces issues of perception. However, it was particularly distressing to see that, in this case, the accompanying service did not stop when such an incident occurred. This is not governed by any protocol or regulation. At the very least, minimal humanity dictates that one should first provide assistance and, if possible, save the woman's and the child's lives. It is also regrettable that in many cases within our public discourse, the sensitivity of that family was not respected, and it became a topic of public discussion, which is very unfortunate,” Kristine Grigoryan stated.

According to her, the functionality and preparedness of the accompanying service must be addressed within the framework of ongoing reforms. “I will also bring this issue to the forefront because it is a serious challenge,” concluded the Defender.

According to a statement released by the Investigative Committee of Armenia, preliminary data indicates that on April 26, 2022, at approximately 6:05 PM, at the intersection of the aforementioned streets in Yerevan, the commander of the patrol division of the Road Police Service of the Armenian Police was involved in a hit-and-run while driving a Toyota Prado vehicle, hitting a 28-year-old resident of the Ararat region. The victim sustained bodily injuries and was transported to the Nairi Medical Center, where she unfortunately did not regain consciousness and died. The driver of the vehicle left the scene of the accident but returned at 8:05 PM to participate in the ongoing investigative actions.