28 killed in holiday crashes
Traffic police were on standby yesterday evening for the return of some of the 260,000 vehicles that left Athens during the Christmas weekend, during which 28 people were killed in car crashes. Nine of the fatal crashes occurred in Attica, where nine people lost their lives in the accidents. This despite traffic police saying that 16,000 fewer cars left Athens between Friday and yesterday than over the equivalent period last year. Police were looking for the driver of a red or brown Lada which, according to witnesses, hit and killed a 62-year-old woman on Patission Street in central Athens at 8.15 a.m. yesterday. Officers also stepped up the amount of breathalyzer tests that they conducted from December 19 in the hope of preventing widespread drunk driving. Some 2,000 drivers were tested yesterday, officers said. The tests revealed that 29 drivers were over the legal alcohol limit. At least seven drivers have had their driving licenses revoked during the last three days because of drunk driving.
