Cyprus is dealing with a series of very serious road accidents that have resulted in multiple deaths in a short period. These tragic events have happened across several areas, leaving communities in mourning and the police working hard to find the causes. The victims include a teenager, a young Ukrainian man, and an elderly woman. Together, these incidents create a very sad picture of the current road safety situation on the island.
The first of these recent accidents happened in central Paphos. Just before midnight, a motorcycle carrying two young people went out of control. The 19-year-old driver lost control on Morphou Street, causing the motorcycle to hit a curb and a barrier before it fell over. Both the driver and his 17-year-old passenger suffered serious head injuries. The passenger also broke his arm. They were taken to Paphos General Hospital. While their injuries were serious, doctors did not believe they were life-threatening.
In a separate and much more serious accident, a truck crashed into a railing on the Limassol-Nicosia motorway early in the morning. The 22-year-old driver apparently lost control while joining the main road. The crash was fatal for a 17-year-old passenger, Aliki Nikolaou, who was pronounced dead at the scene. The four other people in the vehicle, who are all from the Nicosia area, only had minor injuries. They had to be rescued from the damaged truck by firefighters. The driver was arrested after a preliminary alcohol test was positive and he later refused to give a proper sample.
At the same time, the public learned about the death of a 28-year-old Ukrainian citizen, Artem Fomichov. He had been in a collision a few days earlier when a truck turned right and cut directly in front of his motorcycle. He was thrown onto the road and taken to the hospital, but he later died from his critical injuries. In another sad case, a 66-year-old woman from Limassol, Androulla Sirivianou, also died. She had been in the hospital since late July after being hit by a car.
These accidents, which caused three deaths in less than a day, have started an urgent public discussion about traffic laws and driver behaviour. The police are now conducting full investigations into each case. Suspected drunk driving and the dangers for motorcyclists and pedestrians show that society needs to seriously think about road safety to prevent more tragedies.