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THE SUSPECT IN a taxi crash near Red Square that injured two Mexican World Cup fans and other pedestrians told interrogators that he fell asleep at the wheel, Moscow police said.
City police released a video of an interrogation session with a man identified as the Kyrgyz taxi driver, in which he says he briefly dozed off and accidentally hit the gas. It was unclear whether the man spoke under duress.
The man says he hadn’t slept in 20 hours and wasn’t drunk, and ran away after the accident because he was afraid that angry bystanders would kill him. He was later detained.
Videos circulating on Russian social media and some news websites after the incident showed the taxi veering onto the sidewalk yesterday and striking pedestrians. The accident took place on Ilinka Street, about 200 meters from Red Square and Moscow’s famous GUM shopping arcade, an area popular with tourists.
Viktoria Geranovich, who works nearby and filmed the fleeing driver on her phone, described her shock at the crash.
“I called the ambulance right away,” she said. “I was trembling. It is not a thing you see every day, when a taxi drives right into the crowd.”
Moscow police would not comment on whether the crash would affect security measures for the World Cup, which is being held in 11 Russian cities over the next month. Among the security concerns has been the possible use of vehicles as weapons.
A spokeswoman for FIFA told The Associated Press that the World Cup organisers regretted what happened, but referred security questions to Moscow authorities because the crash took place outside stadiums or fan venues. The spokeswoman said World Cup organisers were in regular contact with local authorities about security.
The Mexican Embassy told The Associated Press that the two injured female fans met with embassy representatives and were not hospitalised. The Mexican national soccer team plays against Germany in Moscow.
Details on the other victims weren’t immediately released.
Global soccer fans in Moscow shared information about the crash but didn’t appear to let it dampen their enthusiasm.
“It is pretty horrible that something like that has happened,” said Mexican supporter Julio Domingues. But he added “there are crazy people everywhere.”
Fellow fan Fernando Ibarra said, “We hope our countrymen are OK! Big hug to the families too. Viva Mexico!”
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A hard earned, fragile but sacred peace that must be preserved.
@League of shadows: Totally agree and fair play the people in the north have move on and left their politicians a long way behind them.
I have to say at the time I was very cynical but I can see now it’s transformed the North and must be preserved.
@Deborah Behan: Yes it took great men to sort this out
@Ger Burke: Don’t forget about Mo Ger.
The Good Friday Agreement has being consistently undermined as the North South bodies were deliberately undermined and ignored by Unionism, facilitated by the British and encouraged by the silence and acquiescence of the Irish Govt.
Waking up after 20 yrs is better late than never I guess, but the prize of peace is too precious to squander on meaningless petty party politics!
The Govts are co guarantors and need to move towards joint authority to create the conditions for change!
When will politics function in Northern Ireland? For how long will they need others to sort out their differences? I embarrassed for both sides.
@Michael Lang: politics in NI will only function when there is true power sharing.
With DUP propping up tories, there is an imbalance.
England has yet again prioritized its interests (Brexit) over the needs of the NI people, I.e. return to the troubles is better than change of government which would destabilize Brexit. NI lives are worth less that English economy.
Ulster could have a special deal (Scots & welsh want it) & enjoy benefits of EU and UK .. for the price of a border in the Irish Sea.
An ideology of hate prohibits logical rational thinking.
@Mairtin Cathbhar: that’s an insightful and informative comment. I find it helpful.
@Mairtin Cathbhar: Mairtin – good ideology. Bad assumptions :
The Labour leader and party are no better.
Populist politics dominate the UK as they do here, the “show” is staged to suit the biggest and most important potential voters. They tell us what we want to hear, when did you last witness promises bearing fruition.
Career politicians are self serving generally, they focus on the economy, sadly all else of concern to voters depends on that. Is the Irish leadership different ?
How would Ireland be treated by the rest of the EU if it was to pull the plug on a negotiated Brexit and forced a hard Brexit instead ?
One thing that should have united both sides was the common betrayal of the interests of the people of Northern Ireland by Brexit.
It’s a sorry state of affairs that politicians of today in NI are incapable and afraid of making a decision.
Every time Blair opens his mouth my ears stop working and my blood pressure goes up. He should be in the Hague. Now he’s telling Theresa May she should attack Syria. He’s a disgusting creature and the MSM are trying to launch him back on the international stage despite not being elected by anyone anywhere.
@Patrick J. O’Rourke: Fully agree, every time I see his face or hear his voice I feel disgusted. Pity he didn’t take off his politicians smugness and revert to being a decent member of society before he comitted the UK to invade Iraq. Pity he didn’t pay attention to the huge public marches in every city of the UK protesting that decision.
He’s a constant embarrassment to UK citizens and should go back under his stone or feck off to a Bush cattle ranch in Texas.
@wattsed: Bas**rd blair is back on the rotten lying bbc pushing for war in syria….its laughable if it wasnt so serious….people in the west are screwed allowing this crap to go on.
The current bunch of politicians both unionist and nationalist are squandering 20 years of progress and letting the whole peace process slip away bit by bit – by their failure to see beyond their own tribal agenda.
@GO GREEN: What’s 20 years to a Dinosaur? I’ve spent a fair bit of time up North and you would nearly be thankful for the politicians we have down here when you listen to some of these lunatics up there. Embittered bigots, especially the Unionists.
Mo Mowlam did all the hard work, once it looked like it could be a success Blair and Co jumped aboard to catch the plaudits.
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