THREE PEOPLE, including a schoolgirl, were killed just 12 hours apart in yet another weekend filled with accidents, raising this year’s road toll to 30, police said yesterday.
Eighteen-year-old Antonia Pieri from Avgorou village was killed instantly on the Avgorou-Frenaros road just after midnight yesterday. She had been the front seat passenger in a car driven by a 16-year-old boy when, under circumstances being investigated, the vehicle swerved off course, ploughed through the protective barrier and catapulted into a field, police said.
The youngsters were rushed to Larnaca general hospital where Pieri was pronounced dead on arrival. The 16-year-old suffered serious injuries and was kept in for treatment. His condition was said to be out of danger. Neither teenager had been wearing seatbelts, police said.
Eight hours earlier, Briton William Forbs Horne, 69, was killed on the Limassol-Platres road when, under circumstances being investigated, he and his 63-year-old wife collided with a car driven by a 68-year-old woman from the Limassol district.
This is the second time the 68-year-old has caused the death of another motorist on the same road. Police told the Cyprus Mail she had swerved off course killing a 32-year-old woman in 2002 which resulted in the suspension of the older woman’s licence and a jail sentence.
“She’s obviously a problematic driver,” a police source said.
The UK couple were trapped in their car and had to be removed by the fire services. All three car passengers were rushed to Limassol general hospital where Hornes was pronounced dead, police said. The 68-year-old received first aid and was released. She was promptly transferred to a private clinic where she was kept in for treatment.
Traffic had to be diverted for about an hour through the old Limassol-Platres road, police said.
Earlier in the day at 10.45am Costas Ioannou Hadjipanayi, 76, from Limassol was killed on the Lofos-Sylikos road when, under circumstances being investigated, he lost control of his car and it swerved off course.
In his efforts to redirect his course, the pensioner’s car caught fire, police said. Although he managed to get out of the car, he had already suffered severe burns to his body and died.
The burning car was spotted by passers-by who notified police.
State pathologist Nicholas Charalambous who carried out an autopsy of the scene ruled out foul play.
Commenting on the road deaths Justice Minister Sophoclis Sophocleous said more accidents would occur unless motorists started to behave responsibly. He also said the road safety council would re-examine the issue of “drivers of a certain age” as well as the possibility of them re-sitting their driving test.
Sophocleous added: “How is it possible for a 16-year-old to have a car and his parents not to be aware of it, or if they were aware of it not to take responsibility for it?”
The fatal accidents weren’t the only ones on the weekend roads.
At 5.40pm on Sunday on Latsia’s Makarios Avenue a 16-year-old motorcyclist collided with an oncoming car driven by another teenager.
The boy, who was not wearing a helmet, suffered head injuries from the impact and was rushed to Nicosia general hospital where he was kept in for treatment. The 18-year-old car driver was taken to a private Nicosia hospital where he received first aid and was released, police said.
At 2.40pm two women were also injured when, under circumstances being investigated, the driver of the car they were travelling in swerved off course on Limassol’s Georgiou A’ road and collided with a 31-year-old motorist. The two women were rushed to Limassol general hospital where they were kept in for treatment.
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