Translated material
Figured driving
An athlete from Russia was detained for car theft
Bronze medalist of the Russian figure skating championship and member of the country's national team Andrei Lutai found himself at the center of a loud scandal flaring up in Lake Placid, America. The police of this town, where the next stage of the Skate America Grand Prix ended last week, claims that the Russian celebrated the end of the competition too vigorously. The 23-year-old single skater, who took only tenth place, allegedly drank heavily and tried to steal a car. According to the Associated Press, citing Lake Placid police spokeswoman Sergeant Carol Hayes, Lutai was detained on Sunday evening and is now in custody at the Essex County Jail.The local newspaper Lake Placid News managed to establish details of the arrest. According to Sergeant Hayes, the Russian took a liking to a one-year-old Chevrolet Impala parked near a car service center in the center of Lake Placid. Jay Strack, whose family owns the auto repair shop, later confirmed that the car was left behind by one of the customers. Since the car keys were in the cabin, starting it was not difficult. But the police emphasize that thanks to the vigilance of eyewitnesses and service workers, Lutai’s illegal actions were quickly noticed and within five minutes he was detained and taken to jail.
At the same time, Brian Barrett, who was invited as the skater’s lawyer, said that the police may not be accurately describing the circumstances of the incident. According to him, the police found the Chevrolet already abandoned, and the testimony is so contradictory that it does not allow us to speak unambiguously not only about Andrei Lutai’s guilt, but also about his involvement in the attempted theft. According to the lawyer, no one has yet identified the Russian as the thief who got behind the wheel. However, the defense attorney, apparently, has difficulty extracting testimony from his client - the young figure skater from St. Petersburg, unlike his more experienced colleagues, still speaks poor English. But since many Russians work in Lake Placid, Andrei Lutaya has already been found a translator from among the figure skating coaches. Surely the athlete will be able to count on the help of Russian diplomats. “We are finding out all the details and circumstances of Lutai’s detention and are in contact with him and the local authorities,” the Russian Consulate General in New York told RIA Novosti.
It is known that the police are preparing to bring several serious charges against the athlete: attempted theft, criminal taking of someone else's property, driving a stolen vehicle and driving while intoxicated. “He's very upset,” lawyer Barrett said of his client's mood, admitting that sometimes world-class athletes make mistakes.
In any case, Andrei Lutai will be able to tell the court, with the help of a lawyer and an interpreter, his version of the events of Sunday evening only this evening, when a meeting will take place at which the issue of releasing the athlete on bail will be decided. So far, the court has set this amount at $100,000.