The 22-year-old driver whose double-cab overturned on the Kofinou–Nicosia highway in the early hours of Saturday, claiming the life of 17-year-old passenger Aliki Nikolaou, was brought before Famagusta District Court on Sunday and remanded in custody for three days.
During the hearing, police informed the court that evidence so far shows the vehicle was travelling at high speed as the group of five friends returned from a night out. The pickup had no valid road tax, its licence had been suspended by the Road Transport Department, and was in a dangerous mechanical condition.
The driver tested positive in a preliminary roadside breathalyser but refused to provide a sufficient sample for the final test, resulting in his immediate arrest.
He now faces a series of serious charges including causing death by reckless or negligent act, negligent and dangerous driving, refusal to provide a breath sample, driving without road tax, operating a vehicle without a fitness certificate and allowing the vehicle to be in a dangerous condition.
Investigations continue, with police taking statements from the three surviving passengers – two 17-year-olds and another 22-year-old – who have since been discharged from hospital.
A post-mortem examination on Aliki’s body is scheduled for Monday to establish the precise cause of death.
The tragedy has once again highlighted the lethal combination of speeding, drink-driving and underage passengers travelling late at night.
Also read: 17-year-old Aliki dies in Kofinou rollover crash
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