Driver in Limassol fatality briefly arrested

Police briefly arrested the driver in Limassol’s latest road fatality, where his girlfriend, a young mother of two, was killed violently after he lost control of the steering wheel.

The circumstances of the accident were still under investigation on Tuesday, with reports saying it was established that the car driven by the 21-year-old local male on a rural road towards Limassol skidded into an empty field and rolled over before crushing into an outer wall of a residence.

His front seat passenger, 18-year-old Katerina Charalambous from Limassol, was violently ejected from the vehicle and killed instantly, while he survived the crash, with local media saying none of the two had been wearing seat belts.

Additional reports said there were bags of cement in the vehicle, with investigators trying to ascertain whether traction could have been affected by the additional weight.

The road incident took place just after Sunday midnight, along the Kantou-Kivides road outside Souni, when the driver was reportedly said to have been speeding and trying to overtake another vehicle.

But the driver, who was later arrested on vehicular manslaughter charges involving reckless driving, reportedly told investigators he had a burst tyre.

Sources said he was later released while investigators were still trying to piece together whether the alleged tyre incident might have taken place before or after the vehicle veered off the road.

Experts said despite both individuals not wearing a seat belt, Katerina might have been alive today had she been strapped in.

Katerina leaves behind two young children while reports of her being pregnant were not verified by forensic medical examiners.