Drunken Policeman Kills 2 Children

KIEV, Ukraine – A drunken policeman lost control of his car and it veered into a sandbox, killing two children and injuring a third, police said Friday.

A 3-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy died at the scene in the western city of Lutsk, and a 5-year-old boy was hospitalized with multiple injuries, the Interior Ministry said. The policeman, 24, also was injured and hospitalized, it said.

The ministry did not say whether the policeman was on duty at the time and whether he was driving his own car or a police car.

Heavy drinking and alcoholism continue to plague countries in the former Soviet Union, contributing to high road accident rates and overall death rates.