Сourt releases UOC-KP "priest" who ran over three children while drunk-driving

The court in the Ternopil region exempted from criminal liability the "priest" of the UOC-KP, who in summer ran over three teenagers, while drunk-driving, reports Ukrinform.

"Oleg Mirzayev is still the rector of the Holy Trinity Church in vlg. Tatarintsy and St. Arch. Michael’s Church in vlg. Akimovka of the Lanovtsy district. Local residents said that he took office about six months ago. Actually, almost immediately after that, he made a terrible accident in neighbouring vlg. Napadovka," the regional media quotes the agency. "At midnight, a Ford Transit driver, moving along the road from the village to the Lanovtsy district centre, lost control of the car and ran over three pedestrians. The teenagers were walked along the road, from the opposite of the car side."

As a result of the accident, 15-year-old Pavel got a closed craniocerebral injury, a brain concussion, a back head injury, a closed fracture of the left tibia, 16-year-old Igor also had head injuries, a concussion and a shin fracture. It was reported that the third teenager was injured, too, but he did not appear among the victims in the indictment that was sent to court.

The police confirmed the information of the road accident witnesses that the driver of the car was a local priest, and the tox expertise reveled 2.58 ppm of alcohol in the blood of the offender. After the accident, the "father" himself admitted having alcohol.

In the Lanovtsy District Court, the man responsible for the resonant accident was released from criminal liability, citing the absence of claims from the victims. The judges noted that the priest fully compensated for material and moral damage.

It should be noted that numerous editions have published this news, omitting the fact to what organization a "heavily drunk priest" belongs. Some media illustrate their news with materials with negative connotations about the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, to which a drunk driver has nothing to do. Below we provide screenshots of such publications.

Earlier in the Lviv region, the "priest" of the UOC-KP, Vladimir Budnik, was caught the second time drunk-driving.