The head of a district office of criminal police in St. Petersburg ran over and killed a pedestrian early on Saturday while driving a car under the influence of alcohol, the Interior Ministry said.
Medical examination at the site of the incident revealed that Maj. Sergei Kudryavtsev had a “medium degree” of intoxication when his Honda Accord sedan hit a pedestrian who was running across the street outside of the designated pedestrian crossing.
The pedestrian, whose identity has not been established, died at the scene from sustained wounds.
“An investigation has been opened. If the police officer’s guilt is proven he will be fired from the ranks,” the ministry said.
In recent years the police in Russia have been increasingly associated with corruption and abuse of authority that often went unpunished.
In response to growing criticism, Russian authorities launched in 2011 a large-scale police reform aimed at restoring public trust in the country’s police force.
New regulations stipulate tougher punishment for law enforcement personnel found guilty of crimes and impose harsher sentences than for civilians convicted of similar offences.
