The luxury car of a tycoon was accused of driving against the traffic and caused two deaths, but the police announced that the vehicle of the victim was responsible.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev ordered on March 10th to require the Ministry of Internal Affairs to thoroughly investigate the accident in which the Mercedes-Benz special car of Vice President of "Lukoil" Oil Company Balkov collided with a Citroen car and resulted in the death of two female doctors. The Russian traffic management department previously identified the Citroen as the responsible party, which aroused widespread anger among the public and once again pushed the issue of Russian "privileged cars" and traffic police corruption to the forefront.
Russian citizens petitioned the president for justice
In that accident, Balkov only suffered minor injuries to his leg, and his driver Kartayev was unharmed. The police quickly concluded that the accident was caused by the Citroen losing control and crossing the median strip in the middle of the road. However, many witnesses claimed the opposite. More suspiciously, there were 15 cameras near the scene, but the police said there was only one recording, and the location of the collision was obscured by an advertisement board in the recording. However, the recording also revealed a lot of information, such as the Citroen heading out of the city with smooth traffic, while the Mercedes-Benz heading into the city encountered a traffic jam. The recording also showed that the Mercedes-Benz driving in the inner lane had obvious signs of entering the median strip from the left.
This incident immediately caused strong reactions among the Russian public. A website survey showed that 95% of people did not believe the investigation results of the police, believing that the "privileged car" with VIP license plates, flashing warning lights, and sounding sirens that Balkov was riding in was the real culprit behind the tragedy. Many cultural celebrities even jointly petitioned President Medvedev, requesting him to personally intervene in the investigation and reveal the truth to the public.
"Privilege" and corruption provoke public resentment
Notably, the Russian "Life News" newspaper pointed out on March 12th that Balkov's driver was a habitual offender. In his 23-year career as a driver, he has committed various degrees of violations continuously. Driving this same Mercedes-Benz in reverse in the city center wasn't the first time for him, but he has never received any severe punishment.
As for corrupt traffic police, they often "lay in wait", rarely actively extorting bribes after catching violators, but instead seriously report their names, ranks, and specify the violations. If the violation is not serious, hasn't caused any consequences, and the driver reacts quickly, it will be settled privately; if the driver "doesn't understand the situation," they can only wait to receive a ticket or have their car impounded. Of course, there are also some honest and people-oriented good traffic police who handle things impartially and will even take the initiative to help drivers when they encounter problems.