Slovak Police will not provide any information on the June 29 car accident involving TV Markíza anchorman Rastislav Žitný, during which a 5-year-old boy was killed and his 33-year-old father injured.
The cause of the accident as well as any further circumstances are under investigation by forensic experts. Publicising this information could mar the investigation or hamper the case's outcome, Bratislava Police spokesperson Alena Toševová told the TASR newswire on July 2. Moreover, the aggrieved family does not want any further publicity, she said.
Police are investigating the case as manslaughter, and according to the information published in media, the 31-year-old anchorman could face up to five years' imprisonment. Žitný was allegedly speeding at 150-180 kilometres per hour while talking on his cell phone at the time of the accident. He hit the family - the injured father, the deceased, and an 8-year-old brother who managed to escape injury - from Rohožník (Malacky district, Bratislava region) who were riding bicycles between the villages of Kuchyňa and Rohožník. The boy was transported to Bratislava hospital by helicopter but died shortly after arrival.
Žitný was seriously injured as well and is in an induced coma in hospital in Bratislava. The accident occurred when Žitný lost control of his Audi and swerved into the opposite lane, hitting the cyclists. TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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