Turek on ambulance collision: Police will decide — if not, I'll face the consequences

Deputy and government commissioner for the Green Deal and climate policy Jindřich Turek commented on TV Nova about the high-profile traffic accident that occurred on 13 July at a busy intersection near I. P. Pavlov Square in Prague, where his car collided with an ambulance transporting biological material with its siren on.

According to Turek, after the collision the ambulance was practically thrown into the air and narrowly missed hitting a pedestrian standing at the crossing. The deputy himself described the incident as a "trivial accident" and said he was outraged that many politicians and media outlets refuse to acknowledge the presumption of innocence after watching the video of the incident.

"If someone doesn't recognize the presumption of innocence, I have nothing but contempt for them," Turek said. He added that condemning a person over what he considers such a simple situation is "foolish and biased," and expressed confidence that many people will eventually have to apologize for their hasty conclusions.

"I trust that the police will make a decision in accordance with the law, and I'm relying on that. If not, I'll face the consequences — because then society doesn't deserve me. I'm doing everything I can," the deputy stressed.

Turek also criticized his colleagues in the Chamber of Deputies, saying he is alarmed by how many lawmakers don't even know basic traffic rules. In his view, deputies who fail to understand even simple regulations are all the more likely to vote for "pointless" laws governing far more complex areas.

Commenting on his role in the accident, the politician said: "Anyone who knows the traffic rules and the layout of that particular intersection can guess how things really happened." Turek had previously claimed that his reaction during the incident actually "saved the life" of the ambulance driver.

The deputy also said that he drives his own car, uses the services of a personal driver and security detail, and performs his duties as government commissioner free of charge, without even receiving compensation for travel expenses.

A former rally-racing competitor, Turek maintains that he drives more safely and responsibly than most people, even if it looks otherwise from the outside. He is also convinced that his traffic violations have no bearing whatsoever on his ability to fulfill his duties as commissioner or deputy.

"I think people may be completely indifferent to this," Turek said, adding that, following the same logic, one could call for the resignation of President Petr Pavel, who was once caught riding a motorcycle without a helmet.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz