Updated 3:22 p.m. Moscow Time
MOSCOW, October 21 (RIA Novosti) – The Russian Investigative Committee will soon announce the arrest of the snowplow driver involved in an air crash in Moscow that killed the French oil giant Total’s CEO, the committee’s spokesman said Tuesday.
“In regard to the snowplow driver Vladimir Martynenko, he has been detained for 48 hours and investigators plan to announce his arrest soon,” committee spokesman Vladimir Markin said.
A Falcon 50 jet crashed late Monday night in the Vnukovo-3 Airport in Moscow after the plane hit a snowplow during takeoff. The aircraft was en route from Moscow to Paris with Total CEO Christophe de Margerie as the only passenger on board besides three crew members, also French citizens. All four individuals on board the aircraft died in the crash.
A mistake by air traffic control, the actions of the snowplow driver, bad weather conditions and the possibility of pilot error have been named as possible causes of the accident. Russian investigators have confirmed that the driver of the snowplow was under the influence of alcohol. Martynenko's lawyer, however, insists the driver was sober.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has stated Russia will do everything possible for an early investigation of the tragedy.
