The governor of the Sverdlovsk region was seriously hurt and another person killed in a car wreck that occurred on the way back from a campaign event, it was reported.
Alexander Misharin was driving his Mercedes back from Severouralsk late Thursday on the Yekaterinbrug-Serov highway when he slammed into the rear of Skoda near the town of Krasnouralsk, Gazeta.ru reported.
The governor's car then veered into the oncoming lane, where it collided with a Volga.
Misharin and his driver were both seriously injured, and the Volga driver, Yury Druzhnin, died immediately, Interfax reported. The governor was rushed to a local hospital and then transported to Yekaterinburg where he underwent two emergency surgeries. He is expected to survive.
Reports varied as to the cause of the crash, but a criminal case has been opened, Interfax reported. Officials were quick to point to snowy conditions on the road as a contributing factor.
"Most likely very bad weather was the main cause of what happened," said Alexander Shulha of the regional investigative directorate.
Druzhnin's daughter, Natalya Dudorova, told Komsomolskaya Pravda that she holds Misharin responsible for her father's death.
"Misharin killed my dad. Help me find a witness!' she told the paper.
She said she worries that because of Misharin's position, authorities will try to cover up any wrongdoing on his part.