Reckless off-roader: SUV dives into pedestrian underpass in Russia

ASTANA. KAZINFORM An off-road vehicle descended into a pedestrian underpass near a subway station in the south of St. Petersburg on Wednesday, TASS has learned from the local traffic police's press service.

The driver claims he wanted to "test" his automobile's capabilities. No one was injured during the incident.

"According to the driver, he deliberately drove into the pedestrian underpass to test the capabilities of his vehicle - whether it can ascend or descend," a spokesman said, noting that police had no information on the driver's mental health.

The incident occurred near the Moskovskaya metro station on Wednesday morning. One of the entrances to the station was later closed. The subway station serves as the point of departure for public transport to Pulkovo Airport.

In late December 2017, a bus plowed into a crowded pedestrian underpass in western Moscow near the Slavyansky Boulevard subway station, killing four and leaving another 11 people injured. Police ruled out terrorism, saying they suspected that the bus had malfunctioned or that the driver had lost control of the vehicle.