Woman dies in Limassol horror crash

The death toll on Cyprus’ roads continues to rise, as police on Wednesday said a 62-year-old Hungarian woman became victim 37 to lose their life in a traffic accident this year.

The Hungarian woman, Marta Tyorjanne Tofei, lost her life in the early hours of Wednesday following a crash on King George I Avenue in the Yermasoyia tourist area.

The woman’s car was hit at the traffic light junction by another vehicle running a red light at high speed.

Police said the car was driven by a 35-year-old man driving under the influence of alcohol.

“The 35-year-old, who was not injured, tested positive for alcohol with a final reading of 47µg% and was arrested after a court warrant was issued and taken into custody.

“Investigations are ongoing by the Limassol Traffic Police,” said a police announcement on the incident.

According to local media, the car’s driver was a 35-year-old Russian.

After being extricated from her vehicle, the woman was taken to the Limassol General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The Hungarian woman was a permanent resident, working at a Limassol restaurant.

A Ukrainian woman who had been a passenger in the Russian car was slightly injured.

The driver was arrested and will appear before a district court on Wednesday.

So far this year, 37 people have lost their lives in 35 road accidents, compared to 42 road deaths from 43 accidents in the same period last year.

In 2021, 45 people lost their lives in road accidents, of whom 23 were drivers or passengers of a car, while 13 were driving a motorcycle or riding a bicycle.

Recent Eurostat data showed that road fatalities per million inhabitants in Cyprus were above the EU average.

In 2020, there were 19,102 road fatalities, equivalent to 43 road fatalities per million inhabitants in the EU, and no less than 935,555 injuries on EU roads (excluding Ireland).

In Cyprus, there were 54 road fatalities per million inhabitants in 2020.

Cyprus has adopted the European target of a 50% reduction in road fatalities and serious injuries by 2030.