Heraklion: Traffic Accident with 13-Year-Old and Driver Assault

Two arrests were made in the Agia Varvara area of Heraklion following a traffic accident and the incident that followed, on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 11. According to the report, on the provincial road from Agia Varvara to Agios Myron, a car driven by a 55-year-old collided with a motorcycle driven by a 13-year-old. The minor sustained minor injuries and did not require hospitalization.

Shortly after the collision, the 36-year-old father of the minor arrived at the scene. According to the reports recorded by authorities, he attacked the car driver, insulted him and threatened him. The incident took place while they were still at the accident scene and before police forces arrived. According to the report, the incident unfolded in front of passersby, who were later called to testify as witnesses.

The 55-year-old called the police and filed a complaint against the 36-year-old. Subsequently, both men were arrested: the 36-year-old for bodily harm and neglect of minors supervision, the 55-year-old for dangerous driving. The arrested individuals were brought before the judicial authorities, with the presumption of innocence applying until a verdict is issued.

A key focus for authorities is that the motorcycle was driven by a 13-year-old, an age significantly younger than the minimum age set by law for obtaining any motorcycle license. The charge of neglect of minors supervision is attributed precisely on this basis, as the parent is responsible for the child’s access to the vehicle. In Greek legislation, the minimum driving age for a moped is sixteen years, with mandatory theoretical and practical testing required.

The conditions of the collision itself, and which of the two had priority, are being investigated by Traffic Police. The charge of dangerous driving attributed to the 55-year-old will be judged by the outcome of this investigation and does not at this stage constitute a determination of guilt for the accident.

Operating motorcycles by minors in the Cretan interior is an issue that repeatedly returns, especially during summer months. Travel to villages and over short distances is frequently done on bikes without license, without helmet and without insurance, a practice recorded for decades and associated with serious accidents. Local authorities have occasionally announced intensified inspections, though the phenomenon has not been substantially limited in small communities.

Crete has recorded a series of serious traffic accidents with motorcyclists recently, such as the serious motorcycle accident with a crank in Vagionia Mesara. Road safety in the county’s provincial roads remains an open issue. More about Heraklion on the page Heraklion.