A deadly car crash in the middle of Moscow dominated the Russian news headlines on Tuesday, after it was revealed that the man behind the wheel was the famous actor, Mikhail Efremov.
According to reports, Efremov was driving on Moscow’s Garden Ring when his Jeep Grand Cherokee crossed the road and hit a Lada coming the other way. The driver of the Lada, 57-year-old Sergey Zakharov, later died in hospital. Following the accident, Efremov was filmed confirming that he had been drinking prior to the crash, and eyewitnesses say he appeared to be intoxicated.
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Эксклюзивное видео RT с Михаилом Ефремовым после ДТП на Смоленской площади в Москве pic.twitter.com/3ztDwZEEvT
Speaking to reporters, President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the crash a “monstrous case, in which a drunk driver, no matter who he is, caused an accident and a person died.”
Another prominent figure in Russian politics, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, commented that “the law is the same for everyone – drunk driving is unacceptable.”
On Twitter, popular TV host Vladimir Soloviev called Efremov a “drunken bastard.”
Well-known blogger Ilya Varlamov explained that the actor is a role model for some, and should not be forgiven for his actions. According to Varlamov, “[the] responsibility of a public person should be greater.”
Sports commentator Dmitry Guberniev went even further, calling Efremov a “killer,” and asking for him to be “punished in all severity of the law.”
“I sincerely hoped that Sergey (the victim) would survive, and the situation would not be so serious. Today I will contact his family. I’m disappointed with my father. Covering it up and saying that he is not to blame is stupid and irresponsible,” she wrote.
According to Russia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, Efremov has been charged with causing death while driving under the influence of alcohol, and could face up to 12 years in jail.
Efremov’s lawyer, Vitaly Chernyshov, announced that the actor was “ready to give evidence and cooperate with the investigation in every possible way,” and claimed that he had indicated “his readiness to provide any assistance to the family of the deceased.”
According to media reports, Zakharov worked as a delivery driver for a Russian online grocery store and was a native of Ryazan, a city 200km from Moscow. The deceased’s nephew told newspaper MK that he was in the middle of divorce proceedings, and planning to get married.
Mikhail Efremov is a well-known actor in Russia and earned the coveted award of “Honored Artist of the Russian Federation” in 1995. Apart from acting, he is known for his views critical of the government, and hosts a show on commercial radio station Echo of Moscow.
