Αn elderly tourist was ran over by a motorcycle early Monday morning as he was walking to a bus stop for the airport to return to his country from the island of Crete.
The 75-year-old German national died on the spot and doctors in the hospital could only confirm his death.
The accident took place in Adelianos Kampos in Rethymnon
According to local media, the tourist was walking with his wife and the couple attempted to cross the street through the zebra-zone.
CCTV footage obtained by Crete TV and neakriti.gr, captured the shocking moment where the man is run over ans swept away by the motorcycle that was moving at a high speed. The couple is waling to the bus station pulling their travel luggage. The elderly man is moving with difficulty a few meters behind his wife, who crossed the road first. Apparently both thought that traffic is halted when pedestrians are on the zebra crossing.
VIDEO: ATTENTION GRAPHIC!
The tragedy brings back to the fore the issues of road safety in Crete.
Residents of the area reportedly pointed out that the lights on main roads are not working, making the night dangerous for pedestrians and drivers alike. The owner of a local cafe has taken his own precautionary measures and leaves the lights of his cafe sign on in order to make crossing easier at night.
The driver of the motorcycle was reportedly in shock after the incident, shouting that he “killed a man” and that he had not noticed the presence of the pedestrian.
The couple was about to leave the island where they had spent their vacations, when the tragedy occurred.
It is worth noting that quite a number of tourists have lost their life this summer in Greece.
Trying to cross a zebra in Greece is an adventure alright. Rarely anybody stops and you need to ‘force’ your right to pass. And then get shouted and cursed at by motorists. This is a Balkan problem although some things are changing slowly.
You can tell how well a society is developed in the way the rights of the most vulnerable are protected, in this case pedestrians.