Schumacher ski accident: no criminal wrongdoing, says French prosecutor

PARIS. KAZINFORM - French investigators have ruled out any criminal wrongdoing in retired Formula One champion Michael Schumacher's skiing accident, a state prosecutor has said.
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Albertville prosecutor Patrick Quincy said "no infraction by anyone has been turned up" and the investigation has been closed, in a statement responding to questions about whether the Meribel ski station in the French Alps or an equipment maker might haveplayed a role in Schumacher's injury, The Guardian informs.

The 45-year-old German driver suffered serious head injuries on 29 December when he fell and hit the right side of his head on a rock off the side of a demarcated slope in Meribel. Schumacher has been receiving treatment at Grenoble University hospital in south-east France.

Quincy's office said the rock that caused Schumacher to fall was 10.4 metres (34ft) away from another rock upon which he hit his head - and each were more than 4 metres away from the edge of the red-level piste he was on.

"The accident took place in an off-piste area," the prosecutor's statement said. "The signage, marking, staking and information provided about the edges of this slope adhere to French norms in place."

For many fans, the biggest concern is about Schumacher's health and recovery prospects. Doctors have started waking him from an induced coma but further details have been withheld out of respect for his privacy.

Experts have said it will likely be months before Schumacher's prognosis becomes clear and lasting brain damage is a possibility.

Schumacher earned universal acclaim for his uncommon and sometimes ruthless driving talent, which led to a record 91 race wins. He retired from Formula One in 2012 after garnering an unmatched seven world titles. The accident happened on a family vacation in the Alps as Schumacher was skiing with his 14-year-old son.

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