Maxim Staviiski Slammed for Hiding behind Lawyers after Deadly Crash

Staviiski pleaded guilty to drunken driving and received a 2,5 year suspended sentence, with probation of 5 years, in addition to a four-year driving ban. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency

Bulgarian world ice-dancing champion Maxim Staviiski has been accused of "hiding behind his lawyers" four years after he killed a man and left a young woman comatose in a crash, caused by drunken driving.

"Staviiski has shown no good will to help. He is just hiding behind the back of his lawyers. But let the court deal with him. We as a society must distinguish what is important and fight to save the life of this girl," famous Bulgarian showman Vladislav Karamfilov, dubbed Vargala, wrote in an article for 24 Hours daily.

His statement was prompted by the ruling of Sofia City Court, which dismissed on Tuesday the claim of Manuela Gorsova, who was heavily injured in the crash and left in a coma, against the insurance company of the former world champion - Generali.

The court found no grounds for the insurance company to pay BGN 189,254 to the victim's family and even obliged it to cover the costs in the trial, totaling BGN 21 000, including BGN 800 to be paid to the man guilty for their daughter's fate - Maxim Staviiski.

Manuela's parents say they wanted the insurance company to pay part of their daughter's treatment in Israel. The judge however described the claim as baseless.

"I want to buy a huge bouquet of flowers and give it to this judge, who described as unfounded and unsubstantiated Manuela Gorsova's claim against the company "Generali Insurance ," Vargala wrote in his opinion piece.

"I did not believe that the whole country can again be so united in its compassion for Manuela's fate. But one court ruling managed to do something about which I had already lost hope."

The court ruling has triggered a wave of indignant comments in Internet forums in Bulgaria, where people call it "travesty of justice".

"If only Osama bin Laden had known about Bulgaria's judicial system! He would certainly have come to our country as here he would have been given a suspended sentence. Nobody would have killed him," Vargala wrote.

The deadly crash occurred in August 2007 after Maxim Staviiski, at the wheel of his Hummer vehicle, veered into the opposite lane on a bridge over the Ropotamo River near the coastal city of Burgas, crashing headlong into another car with four people riding in it.

The driver was killed, while one of his passengers - 18-year-old Manuela Gorsova is still in coma.

Staviiski pleaded guilty to drunken driving and received a 2,5 year suspended sentence, with probation of 5 years, in addition to a four-year driving ban.

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