Washington, 21 August 1997 (RFE/RL) - The U.S. State Department says it will send home an American diplomat who was involved in a traffic accident in Moscow on Monday.
Spokesman James Rubin told reporters yesterday that the diplomat, a political attache named Matthew Bryza, was driving his car and struck and severely injured a Russian woman. Her name was not disclosed.
Rubin says Bryza has cooperated completely with Russian authorities, but he says the U.S. Embassy believes the publicity about the accident makes it impossible for the diplomat to do his job properly. Rubin says the diplomat was not drinking or speeding. He says Russian authorities agreed with the U.S. decision to return the diplomat to Washington.