A 45-year-old man was sentenced to ten years in prison on Friday for causing a fatal crash that killed four members of the same family in Limassol on New Year’s Day 2024.

The criminal court of Limassol found the man guilty on four counts of manslaughter. The charges included causing death by reckless, careless, or dangerous acts, speeding in a way that endangered human life, and running a red light.

The collision happened in the early hours of January 1, 2024 at a traffic-light junction on the Limassol-Platres road, near Polemidia. The man drove through a red light at high speed and hit another vehicle, killing all four people inside. Those killed were 27-year-old Evanthia Georgiou, her 17-year-old brother Nikolas Georgiou, and their grandparents, 72-year-old Nikolas Zavrou and 74-year-old Evanthia Georgiou.

The court sentenced the driver to ten years for each count of manslaughter, but the terms will run concurrently. His prison time began on January 9, 2024, when he was first taken into custody.

In its ruling, the court said the driver “ignored the risk and sped through a red light,” noting that his actions “caused the death of four of our fellow citizens, just after the arrival of 2024.”

Family members of the victims attended the court hearing. Many wore shirts with the names and faces of their lost loved ones. While passing sentence, the court also considered his previously clean criminal record, as well as his personal and financial situation.