A court on Crete has sentenced a 28-year-old Egyptian national to 10 years in prison over a fatal traffic collision that killed a 23-year-old woman on the Stalida-Malia provincial road in September 2025.
The three-justice felony appeals court in Heraklion found the defendant guilty of dangerous driving resulting in death and imposed a 10-year prison term. He was also sentenced to five months for leaving the scene of the accident and one year for illegal entry into Greece.
The court rejected a defense request for mitigating circumstances, ruling that the legal requirements were not met. Judges also ordered that any appeal would not have suspensive effect, meaning the sentence must be served immediately.
According to reports, the victim was riding her motorcycle home from work during the early morning hours when the defendant’s vehicle veered from the opposite lane and collided with her vehicle, causing fatal injuries.
The proceedings were marked by emotional testimony from relatives and friends of the victim, who rejected the defendant’s claim that a mechanical failure contributed to the crash. Family members described the incident as an intentional homicide and charged that the sentence imposed was too lenient.
The case comes amid continuing attention in Greece over a series of fatal traffic collisions linked to dangerous driving.
Recent months have witnessed several high-profile crashes involving excessive speed, impaired driving and drivers crossing into oncoming traffic, renewing debate over road safety enforcement and sentencing in fatal traffic cases. Authorities have repeatedly warned that road deaths remain one of the country’s most persistent public safety challenges despite a gradual long-term decline in fatalities.
