Crash kills Iran justice minister

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/6215773.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Iran's justice minister has been killed and two members of his family have been injured in a car crash, state TV says.

Jamal Karimirad's son was thought to be driving when his car collided with a truck on a road in central Iran.

The crash happened near Salafjegan, about 170km (106 miles) south of the capital, Tehran, in an area said to be known for its narrow roads.

Correspondents say Mr Karimirad had little political power, acting as an official spokesman.

Iran's judiciary is headed by Ayatollah Mahmud Hashemi Sharhudi.

Iran has one of the world's highest rates of road accidents, blamed on a combination of poor roads, badly maintained vehicles and poor driving standards.

There are frequent accidents on narrow roads in the area where Mr Karimirad is thought to have died, the AFP news agency says.

An estimated 100,000 people have been killed in accidents over the past five years.