A 22-year-old Russian who badly injured an elderly man and wrecked his Lamborghini in a crash in Switzerland last week was driving under the influence of alcohol, local media reported on Monday.
Four Russians were reportedly racing their Lamborghini, Bugatti, Mercedes and Porsche at over 220 km an hour (about 150 miles an hour) on a scenic highway by Lake Geneva late on Thursday. The Lamborghini driver pulled ahead and hit a Volkswagen driven by a 70-year-old Swiss citizen, who received head injuries and is still in critical condition in hospital.
The Tribune de Geneve said the level of alcohol in the Russian driver's blood was 1.1 grams per liter. Under Swiss law, blood alcohol levels above 0.8 g/l can carry a fine, arrest and the confiscation of a driving license for at least three months.
The Russian, who has not been named, was also hospitalized, but no information has been released on his state of health.
The other street racers fled the scene, but were identified later that night as Russian nationals aged between 20 and 25.
The paper said the Russian is registered in the Canton of Geneva, but holds a Russian driving license, which is not valid in Switzerland.
The other three Russians face charges for not helping a man whose life was in danger. They were detained for questioning and released, the paper said.
Switzerland has become a popular tourist destination for rich Russians, who have also been buying up high-end property in the country.
Russia's Consulate General in Geneva, however, did not confirm on Monday that those involved in the accident were Russian nationals.
Speaking on the phone, a consular official said they had asked the Swiss authorities last week to confirm the nationality of those involved in the incident but had received no reply yet.
"All Russian-speaking foreigners are called Russians here, even if they are citizens of another country," a consulate official said, adding they learned about the crash from Swiss media.
PARIS, November 23 (RIA Novosti)
