An 80-year-old driver lost his life on Friday in a traffic accident on the Paphos-Limassol highway, police said.

According to Paphos assistant police director of operations, Michalis Nikolaou, the pensioner was identified as Andreas Hadjigavriel from the Paphos district.

Nikolaou told CNA that around 10.05am, Hadjigavriel was driving his car on the highway heading from Paphos to Limassol.

On entering the highway from Ayia Varvara, he appeared to have lost control of the car, crashing into a stop sign after which the car skidded off the road and into a ditch.

According to Nikolaou, the car kept moving for another 100 metres within the ditch until it hit a concrete wall and overturned.

As a result, he said, the driver was trapped in his car and had to be extricated by the fire brigade.

He was subsequently transported by ambulance to Paphos general hospital and pronounced dead at 11.15am.

The 80-year-old was wearing a seat belt.