Araks Mamulyan
An Armenian police officer arrested in connection with an April 26 road accident that killed a pregnant woman while she was crossing a street in downtown Yerevan has been released on his own recognizance.
The officer, Aram Navasardyan, was driving a police SUV escorting PM Nikol Pashinyan’s motorcade through Yerevan. The SUV struck 28-year-old Sona Mnatsakanyan and didn’t stop.
Armenia’s Investigative Committee charged Navasardyan with violating traffic safety regulations
Ruben Baloyan, Navasardyan’s lawyer, claims his client is not accused of fleeing the scene and not helping the victim.
The Investigative Committee says Navasardyan showed up only two hours after Tuesday’s crash.
A video showing Pashinyan’s limousine and six other cars in the motorcade driving past the hit woman has spawned a flurry of outrage on social media outlets in Armenia.
Taron Chakhoyan, Pashinyan’s Deputy Chief of Staff, argued that the motorcade didn’t stop because it would have created a traffic jam and thus prevented emergency services to reach the victim.
Top photo: Ruben Baloyan