Man pleads not guilty to drink driving after crash injures three (Updated)

A 74-year-old who was arrested on Tuesday after crashing his car into a parked car in Kolossi, Limassol, injuring three people, including two minors, pleaded not guilty to the charge of drink driving.

The man was found positive in a preliminary breathalyser test, as police said the driver of the car was found to have an alcohol level of 68 micrograms/100ml, far in excess of the admissible limit of 22 micrograms per 100 ml of breath.

Appearing in front of the Limassol district court, the man denied all charges. His trial was adjourned, and he will have to appear in court again on December 8.

The accident took place at around 5.45pm when the 74-year-old lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a parked car, where a 44-year-old woman was sitting.

Because of the sheer force of the crash, the parked car moved, hitting the woman’s 11-year-old and 13-year-old daughters, who were next to the car and injuring them both.

All people involved in the crash were taken to Limassol general hospital, where doctors found out that the 11-year-old suffered a ruptured spleen and a fractured vertebra, while the 13-year-old dislocated her hip and the woman had bruises on her head and face. The 74-year-old, however, only suffered minor injuries.

The 11-year-old had to be rushed to the Makarios hospital in Nicosia. Doctors said she is out of danger, but he remains hospitalised in the intensive care unit.

The 13-year-old remained at Limassol general hospital under observation and the woman was discharged.