A 26-year-old Greek Cypriot was driving at 136 kilometres per hour in a 50 km/h zone when he fatally struck a cyclist in Limassol early Sunday morning, traffic camera footage shows.
The driver ran a red light at the junction before hitting the 20-year-old cyclist on the coastal road, according to Limassol traffic police. He remains in custody for six days whilst investigators piece together the crash.
Traffic camera data captured the vehicle travelling at nearly three times the speed limit on 28th October Avenue, just before the Enaerios traffic lights. The system also recorded the driver running the red light.
Police arrested the driver at the scene. A breathalyser test showed 49 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, more than double the 22μg limit. A preliminary drug test came back positive.
The 26-year-old told investigators he had been drinking at home before deciding to take his car out. He gave various reasons for leaving the house, according to police.
The crash happened shortly after 1:30am on the westbound coastal road. The driver’s saloon car struck the cyclist, then collided with a vehicle driven by a 48-year-old woman before coming to rest on the central reservation, said Marios Charalambous, head of Limassol traffic police.
Paramedics rushed the cyclist to Limassol General Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. Neither the 26-year-old driver nor the 48-year-old woman suffered injuries.
Investigators are focusing on the distance between the impact point, where the bicycle ended up, and where the car stopped — evidence pointing to excessive speed at the moment of collision.
A police officer stationed at the previous set of traffic lights witnessed the vehicle speeding past and running the red light, investigators said. His account matches the camera footage.
A post-mortem examination conducted today revealed the cyclist suffered severe head trauma and multiple injuries to his body and vital organs.