An 18-year-old woman from Romania, Julia Michaela Vasile, lost her life in a road accident in Larnaca on Wednesday night.
According to police, an 18-year-old Jordanian man was also injured in the same incident, while the driver and the front passenger of the car, in which the two young people were travelling and which had reportedly been stolen, fled the scene. Police are actively searching for them, and arrest warrants have been issued against both.
The 18-year-old Jordanian was transported by ambulance to Larnaca General Hospital, where he received first aid and was discharged. He was subsequently arrested on suspicion of vehicle theft and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Assistant Police Director of Larnaca, Haris Hatzigiassimi, informed the Cyprus News Agency that at around 7:20 pm on Wednesday, 13 November, a car was travelling on Artemis Avenue from the old GSZ Stadium towards the Faneromeni traffic lights. The driver and front passenger remain unidentified, while two passengers, an 18-year-old man from Jordan and an 18-year-old woman from Romania, were seated in the back.
Mr Hatzigiassimi added that “under circumstances currently under investigation, the vehicle veered left from Aristomenou Street, initially mounting the pavement, then hitting a directional sign, colliding sideways with a tree on the pavement, and finally coming to a halt at a second tree.”
The accident resulted in the fatal injury of 18-year-old Julia Michaela Vasile, a permanent resident of Cyprus, who was taken to Larnaca General Hospital, where her death was confirmed. The second 18-year-old passenger also sustained injuries and was transported by ambulance to Larnaca General Hospital, where he received first aid and was discharged.
According to Mr Hatzigiassimi, “after the accident, the driver and front passenger fled the scene on foot, and the police are making efforts to locate them. A complaint had been filed by the vehicle’s owner that it was stolen around 1:30 pm the previous day.”
He also noted that the police arrested the 18-year-old Jordanian, an asylum seeker, on suspicion of vehicle theft and conspiracy to commit a felony. Arrest warrants have also been issued for the vehicle’s driver and front passenger.
The Larnaca Traffic Police is investigating the road accident, while the Larnaca Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is handling the vehicle theft case.
