Greek Minister of Public Order Michalis Chrisochoidis has promised to take action following outrage over a fatal car accident involving a drunk driver who had been previously stopped by police.
The accident occurred on the morning of Saturday, January 11, in the city of Chania on the island of Crete. A 23-year-old local resident, Panagiotis Karatzis, was killed in the crash.
Prior to the accident, the driver of the car had been stopped by traffic police, who discovered his blood alcohol level was above the legal limit. Additionally, the man did not have a valid driver’s license, as it had been previously revoked due to driving under the influence.
Despite the significant alcohol level and driving without a license, the police did not arrest the man as required by law. Instead, they issued him a fine and handed over the car keys to his sober passenger. However, the driver later took the keys back and crashed into another vehicle driven by Karatzis.
Minister Chrisochoidis acknowledged that the police officers failed to follow the law, calling it “unforgivable.”
“All necessary sanctions will be applied to the police officers after a thorough review within the framework of administrative procedures and the justice system,” he added.
As reported by AP, Greece ranks among the highest in the European Union for road traffic fatalities.
