SHUTTERSTOCK
The driver of a car that collided with an electric scooter ridden by a 12-year-old boy, leaving him hospitalized in intensive care, told authorities Friday that she did not run a red light at an intersection in Athens’ Holargos suburb, insisting the boy crashed onto her vehicle.
The driver, a 30-year-woman, has, under latest revisions to the country’s criminal code, had her license confiscated until a trial over the incident takes place. She faces prosecution for dangerous driving, including a red light violation.
According to eyewitness reports, the driver appeared to run a red light, resulting in the child being struck and swept away.
Under the new laws, introduced May 1, cases of dangerous driving include running a red light, an offense carrying a minimum penalty of one year’s imprisonment if the violation poses a potential danger to others.
Sentences may reach up to ten years’ imprisonment if the act causes grievous bodily harm and a minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment if the act results in the death of another person.
Meanwhile, authorities are planning to have 388 cameras installed at major intersections across the wider Athens region to capture red-light violations, reduce accidents and enhance road safety.