A series of terrible accidents over one weekend has raised serious concerns about road safety in Cyprus. Two separate crashes, which happened only hours apart, led to the deaths of a young motorcyclist and a teenage girl. These events have started detailed police investigations and have left local communities in shock after the sudden loss of young lives.
The first accident occurred on Friday morning on the old road between Dromolaxia and Larnaca, in the area of Aradippou. Artem Fomichov, a 28-year-old Ukrainian man who lived permanently in Cyprus, was riding his motorcycle on Alkyonidon Street. He crashed into the side of a trailer that was being pulled by a large truck. The 67-year-old driver of the truck, a local man, was turning right onto the main road. Police have said that this turn appears to have been legal. The crash was very serious, and Fomichov suffered major internal injuries. He had emergency surgery at Larnaca General Hospital and was then moved to the better-equipped Nicosia General Hospital. Unfortunately, he died from his injuries later that day. His motorcycle was badly damaged. Although a helmet was found at the scene, it is not certain if he was wearing it during the crash.
In a similarly sad event, a second deadly accident took place in the early hours of Saturday on the Limassol to Nicosia highway. A 22-year-old man was driving a double-cab vehicle and was entering the highway after the Kofinou exit when he lost control. The vehicle swerved, hit a barrier in the middle of the road, and flipped over. One of the five people in the car was 17-year-old Aliki Nicolaou, who was sitting in the back. She suffered fatal injuries and was declared dead at the scene. The other four people, including the driver and two other 17-year-olds, only had minor injuries. Police became suspicious that the driver was impaired. He failed an initial breathalyzer test for alcohol but later refused to give a proper sample for evidence. A test for drugs came back negative.
The Larnaca Traffic Police are conducting full investigations into both crashes. They are looking into the speeds and positions of the vehicles in the motorcycle accident. The driver from the highway crash has already been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. These two tragedies required a major emergency response from the Cyprus Police, the Fire Service, and ambulance teams from Larnaca and Nicosia hospitals.
Beyond the legal investigations, these incidents have started an important public discussion about road safety and personal responsibility. The death of a young man building his life in Cyprus and a teenage girl with her whole future ahead of her shows how one moment on the road can have permanent and devastating consequences. As the official inquiries continue, these events are a sad reminder of how fragile life is and why careful, sober, and defensive driving is so important.