In the Only in Cyprus and Couldn’t Make It Up departments:
“A policeman was run over and injured on Sunday morning in Lakatamia [once a village but now essentially a Nicosia suburb] by a reckless driver, who was arrested along with a passenger in the same car. According to police, at 10.20 am the car was spotted by officers speeding through Lakatamia roads, mounting pavements and crashing into other vehicles. A police car chased the culprits who continued smashing into other vehicles as they tried to get away but ran over a policeman who was at that time off duty”. [Cyprus Mail]
Shouldn’t be funny - but there is a certain Keystone Cops quality to the mental pictures invoked. More questions than answers, of course. Ten twenty AM, so one would normally have assumed sober, although in this case the odds may be not. Does rather sound like the cops were the ones speeding and crashing into other vehicles, in which case it’s a wonder they managed to spot any other dangerous drivers. And why was the passenger arrested, regardless of possible intoxication? Did he (or she) grab the arm of the driver to steer the car into other vehicles. Note that this seems to have occurred after mounting the pavement (read sidewalk, UK usage). Cypriots have a preference for parking on the sidewalk, although in this case it doesn’t seem to have afforded their vehicles much protection. And finally the off duty policeman. Quite a coincidence, or was he drawn to the scene by the sound of repeated crashes?
Yes, it’s pretty crass being amused by an account of a man being run over. Do hope the injuries weren’t serious and may tomorrow regret the levity.
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