Two critical as police launch awareness campaign

TWO PEOPLE are in critical condition and on life support following two serious accidents that took place in Limassol just as traffic police announced the launch of a road safety awareness campaign in a bid to halt spiraling accident tolls.
The first serious accident took place a few minutes before midnight on Sunday in Ypsonas village. According to police, a car driven by an 18-year-old man, under conditions that are being investigated crashed into a large motorcycle driven by 38-year-old Athinagoras Michael from Malia village in Limassol. The car was making its way eastward on Ilias Kannaouros street, while the motorcycle had been following a westward course.
The 38-year-old who was wearing a safety helmet was flung off the motorcycle, sustaining serious injuries to the head. Although the accident took place in Limassol, the 38-year-old was taken directly to Nicosia General Hospital, where doctors confirmed he sustained severe fractures to his skull.  Michael was placed on life support machine, and continues to receive care at the hospital’s intensive care unit.
 The 18-year-old driver was taken to Limassol General Hospital, where it was confirmed he sustained a fracture to his ribs, and bruising to the head. The man was kept in for treatment. Limassol Traffic Police are investigating but believe excessive speed was among the causes.
The second serious accident took place on the Paphos–Limassol highway, just a few hours prior to the Ypsonas accident. Around 8pm on Sunday, a car with a total of six passengers – all Sri Lankan nationals – crashed onto a car driven by a Cypriot man who had a Brazilian man in the passenger seat.
Both cars were immobilised but remained on the road. Meanwhile, a third car making its way to Limassol accidentally hit the two immobilised cars. It appears that the driver of the third car had not noticed the two cars in the middle of the road and crashed into them.  Luckily, the passengers in the third car were not hurt, but the passengers in the other two cars sustained serious injuries.
Aa 42-year-old woman from Sri-Lanka sustained a fracture to the skull and is in critical condition at Nicosia General Hospital. A young Sri-Lankan man in the same car also sustained a fractured skull and is receiving care at Limassol General Hospital. The two men from the second car sustained minor injuries.
As Limassol Traffic Police are investigating the exact causes of the two accidents that took place on Sunday evening, central Traffic Police yesterday launched a road safety awareness campaign, as part of efforts to prevent traffic accidents, or at least reduce their numbers.
Police announced that between December 24, 2009 and  January 10 thisyear, six people lost their lives in road accidents, a record that police view as both worrying and unacceptable, they said. The campaign, which will continue until January 21, will involve more detailed checks to motorcycles. Police will check whether motorists are wearing helmets and have working lights. They will also be checking for loud exhausts, and evidence that engines have been souped up.

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