A driver who fled the scene after colliding with and killing a motorcyclist has been sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Stavros Iraklides, 30, was found guilty of causing death through negligence in the course of a June 10, 2012 hit-and-run accident in Nicosia. He also lost his driving licence for two years.
The accident happened at 11.30am at the Grivas Dighenis-Demosthenis Severis crossing when a car driven by Iraklides collided with motorcyclist George Stylianou, 55, from Yeri. Stylianou was flung from his vehicle and onto the pavement while the motorbike collided with another car.
Iraklides, who was driving a car belonging to his front seat passenger at the time, fled the scene. Eyewitnesses placed the two at a kiosk soon afterwards and said they smelled of alcohol. Iraklides turned himself in to the police at 7.30pm that night.
According to his testimony in court, Iraklides said he and his friend had spent the night before the accident at a nightclub, drinking with a third person. When the club closed at 7am, the group continued to drink alcohol they had brought with them before leaving the spot at 11am.
However, no evidence that Iraklides was drunk at the time of the accident was admitted to court. An alco-test after he turned himself in showed a measure of nine micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, below the 22mg limit. He told the police he drunk after the accident.
Passing judgment on Monday, Nicosia District Court judge Marilena Miliotou said Iraklides’ behaviour indicated “Stylianou’s tragic death was not caused by a momentary mistake or action or omission”.
She said it had instead been the result of “a chain of actions and omissions which make up dangerous and reckless driving, indicating an absence of concern for the safety of others using the road”.
Cyprus Weekly