Pedestrian hit by car in ICU

A PEDESTRIAN who was hit by a car on the Lefkoşa-Gazimağusa main road has been moved into intensive care.

Bilal Gündem, 20, is in a critical condition at Near East University Hospital with a brain embolism, police told Lefkoşa Distrıct Court on Tuesday, after he was allegedly hit by a vehicle driven by Aygün Günay.

Police officer Ulaş Üzüm stated that the suspect had been charged with “careless driving”, “driving without insurance”, “driving without road tax” and “failing to register the vehicle in his name within seven days of purchase”.

Officer Üzüm said that the suspect was driving east on the inside lane of the Lefkoşa-Gazimağusa dual carriageway in his jeep at 8.35pm on April 9.

Mr Gündem was “trying to cross from south to north by entering the road from the central reservation where there was no pedestrian crossing when the suspect struck the victim with his car in front of Ortaklar Market” Officer Üzüm said.

Mr Gündem was given emergency treatment at Lefkoşa State Hospital and was later treated by the orthopaedic department for a fracture to his right foot, the court heard. He was then placed in intensive care as a result of a brain embolism on April 11.

Officer Üzüm emphasised that the accident occurred when Mr Gündem “jumped over the barriers into the second lane”.

Investigations into the incident have been completed and the suspect had “accepted the charges and signed the indictment”, Officer Üzüm added.

Judge Temay Sağer ordered that Mr Günay be released on conditional bail pending trial.