A learner driver prosecuted for driving while under the influence of alcohol and causing the death of a cyclist last October has been sentenced to five years and six months imprisonment, Yeniduzen reported.
Zamir Dereseven (20) tested for 84mg/100ml of alcohol after he struck Teoman Telek (45) who was riding a bicycle on Near East Boulevard in Nicosia on 13 October, 2021.
Judge Murat Soytaç, one of three judges passing sentence at Nicosia Criminal Court said that the fact Dereseven’s car had mounted the pavement and that he was not even aware that he had struck the cyclist showed that he was heavily intoxicated by his alcohol consumption. This was not a brief moment of inattention, the judge said, adding that this accident was grave and severe.
He also noted that Dereseven, who was aged 20 at the time only had a learner driver’s licence and should have been driving accompanied by a qualified driver over the age of 25.
The victim of the accident Teoman Telek (45) was taken to A&E at the time but died in the early hours of the following morning.
The judge went on to say that “Despite the insufficient infrastructure of our roads, to enable motor vehicles to move in an orderly manner, we observe that a significant portion of the traffic accidents that come before us are caused by carelessness and speeding, which significantly affects the driving of the vehicle”.