Enraged driver could face attempted murder charges

Limassol police are investigating attempted murder after an army officer was injured when an angry man drove his car into a taxi agency, but he says it was an accident.

According to police, a 38-year-old male was arrested over the weekend in connection with a Saturday early morning incident in Limassol, where a man was injured outside a taxi service after being struck by a vehicle which then crashed into the store.

Based on an official complaint by a 47-year-old male, described by local media as a military man, he was walking into the taxi agency to visit a friend when he heard a car behind him.

He told police that the car stopped about a meter away with the driver revving up the engine, adding that the vehicle then suddenly moved forward and injured him. He also said that he walked inside to take cover but the vehicle crashed into the shop causing property damages.

An ambulance rushed the 47-year-old to the Emergency Room at Limassol General Hospital where doctors said he had sustained an open fracture on his shinbone and was expected to undergo surgery. Another individual inside the shop at the time was said not to have been injured,

The driver was later arrested while he pointed officers to his vehicle that was parked in a field near his residence.

According to the suspect, the incident was an accident and told investigators that he left the scene because the license plates on his vehicle had expired.

He also admitted driving specifically outside the taxi agency but lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the shop, with the perpetrator adding he did not realize he had injured someone.

A Limassol district judge on Sunday ordered the suspect in remanded custody for eight days with police investigating attempted murder charges against him.

Additional reports said the suspect had driven to the taxi agency around 3am after learning that his brother had a dispute with relatives of the business owner over who was to pick up the tab at a local coffee shop.

Media sources also learned that an unknown male had called the taxi service moments after the incident, insisting on speaking with the owner and telling him he was willing to pay for damages.