Photos: Car Plunges into Crowd Gathered After Accident, One Person Charged

A "Mercedes" vehicle plunged into a crowd gathered at the site of an accident. On July 18, a person has been charged in connection with the road accident that occurred on the Yerevan-Eraskh highway.

Significant details have emerged regarding the traffic accident that resulted in the deaths of three people and injuries to 13 on the Yerevan-Eraskh road during the night of July 18. Particularly, the preliminary investigation conducted by the Ararat regional investigation department of the RA Investigative Committee revealed that on that day, around 00:30, vehicles of the brands "Gazelle," "Infiniti," and "BMW" collided at the 32nd kilometer of the Yerevan-Eraskh road, resulting in the immediate death of a 21-year-old resident of the village of P. Vedi.

After the accident, people began gathering in the central grassed area, and during this time, a "Mercedes" car, traveling from Yerevan towards Eraskh, hit several people in that area, veering onto the opposite side before colliding with a "Ford Transit" vehicle. As a result, the struck individuals ended up on the opposite lane.

Following the incident, 15 individuals, 14 of whom were injured, were transported to medical centers, where two of them, aged 43 from the village of Aintap and 25 from P. Vedi (the latter being the brother of the deceased 21-year-old, who was driving the BMW), died after several hours without regaining consciousness.

The identities of all the injured individuals have been established. Immediate investigative actions were carried out within the framework of the criminal proceedings, forensic medical and trace evidence examinations have been assigned, and the site was examined. Several individuals have been questioned, samples have been taken, and relevant footage from nearby surveillance cameras has been seized and reviewed.

It has been determined that the driver of the "Mercedes," a 39-year-old resident of the village of Ararat, was intoxicated while operating the vehicle, and his driving license was expired. Based on reasonable suspicion arising from the commission of a serious crime, the driver of the "Mercedes" has been arrested by the decision of the prosecuting authority.

The investigation has obtained evidence that on the day of the incident, while driving his "Mercedes" in an intoxicated state on that section of the Yerevan-Eraskh highway, he failed to consider the traffic intensity and road conditions, particularly the visibility of the road in the direction of travel. Furthermore, he did not select a speed that would have allowed for the safe control of the vehicle in compliance with regulations. After seeing the crashed vehicles that posed an obstacle or danger to traffic, he made no attempts to reduce his speed, and without ensuring the safety of overtaking, attempted to overtake, thus depriving himself of the technical possibility to prevent the collision and subsequently hitting 14 individuals located in the central grassed area at the 32nd kilometer of the Yerevan-Eraskh highway.

Based on the facts obtained, public criminal proceedings have been initiated against the driver of the "Mercedes." He has been charged under part 4 of Article 342 of the RA Criminal Code. A motion has been submitted to the court for his detention as a preventive measure, which has been granted. The preliminary investigation is ongoing. Measures are being taken to clarify all circumstances surrounding the traffic accidents and the injuries sustained by the victims. Relevant directives have been given to employees of the respective division of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Notice: An accused individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty in accordance with the procedures established by the Criminal Procedure Code of the RA, by a verdict of the court that has entered into legal force.