A security car registered to an MP of ruling New Democracy has been involved in a serious traffic accident with a motorcycle outside the Parliament on Friday. Seriously injured was a 23-year-old young man who is now on mechanical support and is considered as “brain dead.” Minutes after the accident, a reporter filmed the scene and the case turns into a scandal that it would have been possibly buried wasn’t it for social media.
The video shows the victim laying completely motionless on the spot and remains still even when paramedics place him on a stretcher. It also shows how traffic police threatens with fines another motorcyclist, an eye witness, who said that he saw everything, that the victim had right-of-way and green light.
The Traffic Police man fines the eye-witness for not wearing a helmet and forces him away without taking any contact details. “Get out of here!” the policeman is heard saying.
The accident occurred at in the center of Athens at 12:25 Friday noon in front of several eye-witnesses, including a big number of guards of the Parliament.
The video uploaded on Saturday on social media by website PRONEWS, sets Greek Twitter on fire. On a hashtag #accidentparliament, Greeks speak of “impunity” on the part of state employees, claim that “police helped the driver to go away” and “efforts to cover up.” Furious Greeks ask why the driver wasn’t apprehended on the spot as the Traffic Code provides in cases of serious accidents. They demand the release of the accident footage as CCTV cameras are installed around the Greek Parliament.
Δ Ω Σ Τ Ε
Τ Ο
V I D E O
T O Y
Τ Ρ Ο Χ Α Ι Ο Υ
Σ Τ Ο Ν
Ε Ι Σ Α Γ Γ Ε Λ Ε Α
Γ Ι Α Τ Ι
Θ Α
Φ Ω Ν Α Ζ Ο Υ Μ Ε
Μ Ε Χ Ρ Ι
Ν Α
Τ Ο
Κ Α Ν Ε Τ Ε
Γ Ι Α Τ Ο Ν Ι Α Σ Ο Ν Α
και για τον κάθε Ιάσονα
και για να μην υπάρξει άλλος Ιάσονας#τροχαιοβουλη— Thomas Mavrofides (@blacktom1961) March 14, 2021
They claim a “hit and run” case, even though the video above shows that the car remained on the spot and entered into the Parliament court yard. Those knowing the area alleged that the car made a sharp turn to the left on Vassilis Sofias to enter the Parliament and the motorcycle that had no time to brake crashed on its back right side.
Το όχημα έστριβε για να μπει στον χώρο της βουλής και συγκρούστηκε με την μηχανή στην πίσω δεξιά γωνία του. Το όχημα εδώ φαίνεται παρκαρισμένο στην είσοδο της βουλής #τροχαιοβουλη pic.twitter.com/pEPixfTr7Y
— DestroGrenadier (@destroxiii) March 14, 2021
Thousands of tweets reproduce the then unconfirmed rumor that the security car was assigned for the security of MP Dora Bakoyiannis, the sister of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and some claim that she was even inside.
With a 48-hour delay, both Bakoyiannis and the Traffic Police issue statements on Sunday and make the public sentiment even worse.
— Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη (@Dora_Bakoyannis) March 14, 2021
In a “thoughts and prayers” message, the MP declares to be “devastated” and said that she contacted the victim’s family parents assuring them “that the case will be investigated in depth and the responsibilities will be assigned.” She said that she was inside the Parliament at the time of the accident, attending the “PM’s Hour.
Friday noon, a debate between the PM and the main opposition leader Alexis Tsipras on the highly controversial issue of police violence.”
Όπου, «ξαφνικά» άνοιξε η ροή πληροφορίας. #τροχαιοβουλη pic.twitter.com/6v1d1GjdqA
— Thomas Mavrofides (@blacktom1961) March 14, 2021
In an interview with website rosa.gr, the victim’s sister appeals to eye-witnesses to come out. She said that her brother is “brain dead” and tha the family has decided to donate the organs of Jason to save other people’s lives.
The news that a state vehicle hit a motorcyclist outside the Parliament” makes it to mainstream media only after the MP and the Traffic Police issued their statements.
PS Life has become very cheap in Greece recently….
All those people on social media who feel the need to express their OPINIONS without knowing ANYTHING at all, just because they don’t have something better to do in their empty lives !!! It’s a disgrace and an growing disease in our contemporary, respectless society, and the blame for this goes for 200% to all the debilitating ‘social’ media: they will ruin civilization completely if we don’t stop them.
Ah, the “rule of law” applies only to the “hoi polloi” as far as fascists are concerned. You reveal your true political colours with every post.
You might be judging others by your own actions when trolling,”All those people on social media who feel the need to express their OPINIONS without knowing ANYTHING at all, just because they don’t have something better to do in their empty lives !!! ”
However, not all social media by the public is “fake news”. A lot is often enlightening and as much of a contributor to our democracy as other media such as this one you take the great liberty to discredit and that isn’t even social than mainstream online news. What an arrogant hypocrite to claim that it is the others who do not know “ANYTHING”, this is shameless and brainless thing to say.
Oh geez…
Are you a government shill? Almost everytime I see a comment from you it’s a regurgitation of Koulis’ latest rhetoric.
A young man has died and here you are preaching about social media…
So what do you expect me to write? “Oh what a poor guy”, or “what a naughty car driver”, or “all police and government are bad guys” ? I leave that to all the nitwits on Fakebook, Twitter and Instagram who get brainwashed every second of the day without even realizing it…..
By the way: I don’t know any “Koulis”, but if he says the same as I do, then he is a genius as well 😉
My post was meant as a reply to Sisifos, btw.