The second driver of the Armenian bus that crashed in Russia, Bagrat Hovakimyan, is a witness in the criminal case into this road accident. 

Representatives from the Embassy of Armenia in Moscow told the aforesaid to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

They informed that Hovakimyan was questioned on the next day of the incident, and then he was released.

The Embassy representatives also said investigative actions are being carried out with the first driver of the bus, Garnik Harutyunyan, who has been taken into custody for two months.

“We assume that a matter of his handing over to Armenia will not be discussed until the investigation is completed,” they added. “In any case, no issue on [his] handing over is discussed at this moment.”

Eight people were killed and several dozen others were injured as a passenger bus, which was traveling from Moscow to Yerevan, crashed on Tuesday at around 2:10am local time, in Tula Oblast (province) in Russia.

Russia has opened a criminal case into this bus crash, and on charges of “breaking the road traffic and vehicle operation rules.” A similar case has been filed in Armenia, too.

According to preliminary data, the bus driver, Garnik Harutyunyan, had fallen asleep at the steering wheel.