Driver who killed 18 people can be released in Armenia

Armenian driver Hrachya Harutyunyan, who was convicted of causing a major traffic accident in Russia, who was extradited to Armenia can be released due to health problems, his father-in-law Viktor Martirosyan said.

"He is not a criminal - he was imprisoned after an accident. And since he had already served two-thirds of his term, permission was given to start the process of early release," Sputnik-Armenia cited Martirosyan as saying.

The truck, which Hrachya Harutyunyan was driving, crashed into a passenger bus in July 2013 near Russia's Podolsk. The accident claimed 18 lives, and more than 60 people were injured. The Armenian driver was sentenced to 6 years and 9 months in prison.