An 18-year-old man tragically lost his life on Tuesday evening, when he attempted to disembark a trolley, following an altercation with a conductor during a ticket inspection.
The young man boarded the 7039 trolley on the “Zappeio – Agios Ierotheos” line at the “Agios Antonios” stop, headed for Anthoupoli. A conductor boarded the trolley on the next stop and during inspection, discovered that the 18-year-old without a ticket. As the young man was unable to pay the fine, the conductor asked him to follow him to the end of the line.
Witness reports suggest that the 18-year-old had altercation with the conductor. During the fracas the conductor’s glasses were broken and the young man’s shirt was torn. The 18-year-old then hit the emergency stop button, opened the trolley door and attempted to escape, while the vehicle was still moving.
The 18-year-old however injured himself seriously in the head and was taken to the “Agia Olga” hospital and later the General State Hospital of Athens, before it was too late. Other passengers who witnessed on the trolley reacted to the conductor’s provocative behaviour.
The public prosecutor has ordered an investigation to determine the course of events and extent of the altercation. Some witness reports have suggested that the 18-year-old was pushed out of the trolley. The funeral will take place at the Peristeri cemetery at 17:00 on Friday, with anarchist groups organizing rallies.
The Peristeri Traffic Police arrived on the scene and detained the conductor and trolley driver for statements. The two men were charged with manslaughter and were later set free without bail.
The lawyer of the deceased’s family, Areti Panagiotou, has asked for eye witnesses to come forward, disputing the course of events. The managing director of Urban Transports (OSY) Yannis Economou avoided commenting on the ongoing investigation, stating that “there are eye-witness reports that truly reflect the events”.
