Schoolboy on a BMW M4without a driver's license struck a traffic police officer in Tashkent. The officer sustained serious injuries and was hospitalized.
The collision occurred around 9:45 PM on Wednesday on Nukus Street in downtown Tashkent. There is a video footage of the incident, filmed from inside the car.
The video shows the car, with another car driving in front of it, making a sharp left lane change and striking the officer.
The injured officer received a radio call about a vehicle driving illegally on the street. The collision occurred as he was about to stop the vehicle.
Various media outlets reported that the car might have previously popped out in several online videos showing expensive cars drifting on Tashkent streets at night, performing dangerous maneuvers, and committing other serious traffic violations.
The spokesman to the Prosecutor General's Office, Hayot Shamsutdinov, confirmed that the car was driven by a tenth-grader.
He later announced that a criminal case had been opened under Violation of traffic safety regulations resulting in grievous bodily injury charge. This offense carries a fine of up to 50 basic units, deprivation of a certain license for up to three years, house arrest for up to three years, or imprisonment for up to three years.
On the same day, a video surfaced of a gray BMW X5, which had been repeatedly caught on video violating traffic rules, including with a BMW M4 involved in an accident, being towed away. A traffic police officer in the video claims the car was driven without a driver’s license or license plates.
The official reports do not say that the student driving the BMW M4 was involved in a street race. However, following renewed public calls for harsher penalties for traffic violations, official bodies have also announced plans to do so.
Plans to Toughen Penalties for Street Racing
The Ministry of Justice announced that it had filed a bill on harsher penalties for illegal street racing for interdepartmental approval on February 17. It is expected to be published for public input soon.
The bill proposes administrative and criminal penalties for organizing and participating in illegal street racing.
The statement also noted that such actions posed a serious threat to public safety and lead to serious consequences, including death.
It is worth noting that the Code of Administrative Offenses includes Article 128-10, "Road Hooliganism."
Khayot Shamsutdinov, spokesman to the Prosecutor General's Office, wrote: "Recently, I, like other citizens, have witnessed individuals in Tashkent driving cars and motorcycles significantly in excess of the speed limit after 10:00 PM, or racing each other."
"Such incidents lead to increased noise levels and pose a threat to the safety of road users. Such actions disrupt public order and peace at night, and also pose a real danger to lives and health of people," he noted.
He reported that "relevant agencies are taking the necessary measures to prevent, detect, and suppress these violations." He urged citizens to comply with the law and traffic regulations, respect the peace of the community, and report violations to the competent authorities.
