Elderly woman dies after crash
AN 87-year-old woman died in hospital following a headon collision on the AlsancakGirne road on Tuesday.
According to information from the police press office, the accident occurred at 3pm. Aysel Birol was heading towards Alsancak on the wrong side of the dual carriageway when she crashed into a car driven by Bülent Uçar, 43, who was driving towards Girne, police said.
Ms Birol was taken to hospital but could not be saved, despite the best efforts of doctors.
Mr Uçar was taken to Girne’s Akçiçek State Hospital for treatment. Police launched an investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile a man appeared in court on Wednesday in connection with the death of pedestrian Cemre Sağıroğlu, 26, who was hit by a taxi while crossing Dr Fazıl Küçük Bulvarı in Lefkoşa on March 25.
Police officer Hatice Zeybek told Lefkoşa District Court that blood samples taken from taxi driver Casim Çapın “revealed no signs of alcohol whereas alcohol was found in the victim’s blood”.
Testifying before the court, officer Zeybek said that the accident occurred at around 6.50pm when Mr Çapın was driving in the far right-hand lane of the threelane section of Dr Fazıl Küçük Bulvarı. The taxi driver was “both speeding and driving carelessly” the court heard.
Mr Sağıroğlu was attempting to cross from the north to the south side of the street in front of Batukan Group Auto “from a point where there was no pedestrian crossing” the court was told, when he was struck by Mr Çapın’s taxi.
Zeybek said that Mr Sağıroğlu was seriously injured and taken to the accident and emergency department of Lefkoşa Dr Burhan Nalbanoğlu State Hospital for treatment but due to the severity of his injuries he passed away at 7.35pm.
Local CCTV footage of the moments before the incident showed Mr Sağıroğlu “staggering under the influence of alcohol, falling down, then later trying to cross the road” officer Zeybek told the court. Prescription pills were later found on the victim’s body. Mr Çapın was released on conditional bail pending trial.