A resident of St. Petersburg has entered the criminal arena as a defendant in a case involving theft tied to the use of a car-share vehicle through an account not belonging to the driver. The information emerged from a broadcast on the Telegram channel associated with the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.
The criminal case was initiated under Part 1 of Article 166 of the Criminal Code. According to the police statement, the person facing charges was required to remain within the city limits by a written undertaking as a precautionary measure while the investigation unfolds.
In the late evening of February 23, traffic officers stopped a 19-year-old female driver operating a Nissan Qashqai. Alongside signs of alcohol intoxication, investigators determined that she had been driving a car-offered through a car-sharing service using another person’s account. Following these events, the car-sharing company reported the incident as a vehicle theft the following day.
In public commentary, a former attorney explained to media outlets the circumstances under which an individual who sits behind the wheel of someone else’s vehicle could be charged with theft, outlining the legal framework and potential defenses that may arise in such cases. The discussion emphasized the importance of proper authentication and the consequences of misusing third-party access to shared cars.