Chief prosecutor of the breakaway South Ossetia, Merab Chigoev, died after he was struck by a car while crossing street in Tskhinvali on January 9, according to the breakaway region’s interior ministry.

Initially Russian and local media sources reported citing a witness that the driver ran from the scene, but later the same media sources reported citing breakaway region’s interior ministry that the driver did not try to flee and was arrested on the scene; he was identified as Soslan Tedeev, a 33-year-old resident of Tskhinvali.

The incident does not appear to be treated by the law enforcement agencies of the breakaway region as an intentional act.

South Ossetian leader Leonid Tibilov, who has called for stricter road safety measures, was quoted by Tskhinvali-based news agency RES as saying at a meeting with interior ministry leadership on January 10: “I take the investigation of this crime under personal control. But what else can be said, the case is actually already solved. The Culprit should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

Merab Chigoev held the post of the breakaway region’s chief prosecutor since April, 2012; he was the justice minister in 2004-2008.