Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
ACCRA, Ghana (AP) - Russia's chief justice was in stable condition Tuesday following a car accident in the West African nation of Ghana where he awaited transport home.
Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Lebedev had been in Ghana to open a conference of the country's bar association that took place east of the capital.
The chief justice was brought to Accra by an airlift of the Ghanaian military and was in the intensive care unit at a military hospital, according to the information ministry.
"Initial investigations revealed that the accident occurred when a tipper truck suddenly veered into the lane in which his convoy was traveling," said Ghana's Deputy Minister for Information Felix Ofosu in a statement.
Police have refused to give any details about the driver whose vehicle crashed into the convoy.
In Russia, news reports said the Emergencies Ministry was preparing to send a plane to Ghana to bring Lebedev back home, though it was unclear when that would take place.
Court spokesman Pavel Odintsov was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying he had spoken Tuesday with Lebedev today by telephone and "Vyacheslav Mikhailovich said he feels OK."
(Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
