Mayor Who Hit Pregnant Woman Exceeded Speed Limit, Victim's Representative Says

At the intersection of Paronyan and Leo streets, Aram Navasarayan, the commander of the police escort unit who struck citizen Sona Mnatsakanyan on April 26, has been proven to have exceeded the speed limit, according to the results of an investigation. This was stated by Raffi Aslanyan, representing the victim's legal successors, in a conversation with NEWS.am.

Aslanyan said that according to a government decision defining the escort procedures for special purpose vehicles, including those for the Prime Minister's convoy, police officers must only operate based on the green light when entering intersections. “In our case, the police vehicle entered the intersection with a red light, failing to stop and subsequently causing the accident,” he stated.

It should be noted that yesterday, the Yerevan general jurisdiction court rejected the request of the Chief Prosecutor of Yerevan to detain Navasarayan. According to Aslanyan, it is evident to the victim's side that the court's stance has been significantly influenced by a legal dispute between two agencies.

“Initially, the Investigative Committee arrested him, later released him, and did not charge him under the provision that foresees criminal liability for leaving the accident scene. Subsequently, upon the prosecutor's directive, the criminal case received more or less legal processing. Specifically, the person was arrested, charges were brought against him, and the specific accusation of leaving the accident scene was added, along with a request for detention as a preventive measure,” he explained.

Raffi Aslanyan mentioned that the conflict between the two agencies was directly related to the aspect of fleeing the scene. “The Investigative Committee concluded that there was no flight since the individual called and reported to his superiors, while the Prosecutor’s Office argues that this does not exempt one from criminal liability. I agree with the Prosecutor's Office, as the law on ensuring road traffic safety clearly outlines the driver's responsibilities. In particular, if the accident was caused by his actions, resulting in death or bodily harm, he is required not only to call for an ambulance but also, in extreme cases, to transport the individual himself to the hospital. It is hard to imagine a more extreme case than this,” he added.

In response to the defense attorney's claim that video evidence shows the traffic officer signaling the pedestrian to stop, while the pedestrian continues to cross the street, Raffi Aslanyan responded: “There is no such evidence in the criminal case that anyone warned the pedestrian to refrain from exiting at the designated crosswalk. I reiterate, the video clearly shows that the person is attempting to signal with his hands from a distance that he is crossing the road, seemingly trying to show the police vehicle. Thus, these are desperate measures, rather than a conversation with someone.”

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