ROME, January 7 (RIA Novosti) - A preliminary investigation blamed a snowmobile accident in Italy which left six Russians dead on the driver’s recklessness, not drunk driving, the L'Adige newspaper reported on Monday citing prosecutors.
Four women and two men from Russia died at Cermis in the Trentino province late on Friday when their rented snowmobile tipped over and fell into a deep ravine. Two other men were sent to a hospital in Trentino in serious condition. Azat Agafarov, who drove the vehicle, was one of the two survivors.
Trentino chief prosecutor Giuseppe Amato said that test showed that the Agafarov’s blood alcohol level was “only slightly above the permitted level” of 0.5 per mille.
Italian media earlier reported that the Russians were returning from a holiday dinner in a restaurant to their hotel and the driver was possibly under the influence of alcohol.
The accident occurred on a steep slope at the altitude of 2,000 meters while the eight were traversing a closed ‘black’ track. The driver apparently lost control of the snowmobile and the vehicle broke through the safety nets, plunging about 100 meters down the slope.
The bodies of the deceased are expected to be flown to Russia on Wednesday.
