National guardsman and pensioner killed on the roads

TWO PEOPLE, a young soldier, not wearing a seatbelt, and an old-age-pensioner travelling in a taxi, were killed on the roads yesterday.

The 20-year-old national guardsman, who had less than a month to complete his national service, was killed in a car crash in the early hours of yesterday morning.

At around 5am, Christos Neophytou from Yeroskipou was driving from the Konio roundabout towards Yeroskipou when he lost control in circumstances still under investigation, hitting a road sign and cutting the pole. The 20-year-old was hurled from the car which then crushed him. Members of the fire service were able to cut him loose so an ambulance could take him to Paphos General Hospital where he died soon after.

Neophytou was serving at the Paphos boot camp and was due to receive his release papers at the end of the month.

Later in the day, at around 1pm, an 84-year-old woman, Kyriacou Xenofontos, was killed in Limassol when the taxi she was travelling in crashed into another car whose driver had reportedly crossed a red light.

According to Limassol traffic chief Georgios Loukaides, the taxi was attempting to turn from Spyros Kyprianou Avenue onto Panayiotis Anagnostopoulou when it crashed into a car driven by a 17-year-old young man, holder of a learner’s driving licence.

From the violent collision, the 84-year-old woman was thrown from the taxi and onto the road where she died. The drivers of the two vehicles were taken to hospital for treatment.

Witness statements suggested the 17-year-old had run a red light, hitting into the side of the taxi turning on a green light. The state broadcaster yesterday reported that some reports said that a second person was in the car driven by the 17-year-old, who had abandoned the scene of the crash.