THREE children in the back seat of a car driven by a 34-year-old under the influence of alcohol were injured on Sunday when the driver lost control of his car.
The 34-year-old was over the legal alcohol consumption limit for driving – set at 22 micrograms per 100 ml – measuring instead 40 micrograms.
The car was on the Kofinou-Larnaca highway when at about 3.30pm the driver- in circumstances still under investigation- lost control of the car close to Anglisides. The vehicle overturned, stopping in a ditch.
A 12-year-old family friend who was trapped in the car was freed by officers from the disaster response squad EMAK. She had ruptured her lung.
The driver’s nine-year-old daughter needed spleen surgery while his 12-year-old daughter suffered a head injury.
The three children were taken to Larnaca general hospital and are doing well, the police said yesterday.
The driver and a 32-year-old co-passenger were not hurt.
The head of traffic police Demetris Demetriou said yesterday that he was troubled by the incident “because [similar incidents] happen often on the highway”.
According to Demetriou, last weekend police administered 2,101 alcohol tests across the island. One in twelve drivers stopped by police were found to be over the limit.
Demetriou said he was also concerned about the fact that about half of all motorcyclists stopped by police were not wearing their helmets.
An EU-wide campaign on speeding starts today.