A tragic day on island’s roads

A UKRAINIAN woman was killed in a road accident in Nicosia yesterday, the second fatality in a tragic 48 hours on the road, while a motorcyclist was last night fighting for his life after being hit by a car in a separate accident.

At 9.30am yesterday, Ukranian national Olena Anjeyeva died in Strovolos, Nicosia after the saloon car she was in violently collided with a truck. The driver of the car was almost three times over the blood alcohol limit.

The victim was crammed in the car with another four women, who suffered minor injuries, while the truck driver was uninjured.

The driver of the saloon car scored a reading of 60mg on the alcohol test conducted by police just after the accident, almost three times more than the allowed amount.

The man has been placed under arrest.

A resident living off Stavrou Street where the accident happened said that: “Road safety is daily called into question on this section of the road; we need traffic lights or some other viable solution.”

On Saturday, a hit-and-run accident in Paralimni claimed the life of Swedish tourist Lisa Helena Johanson, aged 67.

The driver, 27-year old driver Valeri Karatsaousides from Georgia, fled the scene, but was chased and caught by a member of the public, who followed the car and called the police.
The Georgian was driving his pick-up truck, accompanied by his father, on April 1 Avenue at about 3pm when the accident happened.

Johanson was crossing the road when Karatsaousides ran her over, not far from Kokkinos supermarket.

She suffered severe head injury and possibly internal bleeding, and succumbed to her injuries later that night at Larnaca General Hospital.

An alcotest showed Karatsaousides had not been drinking.

In another accident yesterday afternoon, a man riding his motorcycle was hit by a car at the junction of October 28 road and Grivas Digenis Avenue in Engomi.

The motorcyclist was critically injured and has been transported to Nicosia General Hospital.
In 2007, the island witnessed a total of 90 road deaths, while in 2008 four road deaths have occurred so far.

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