Tempe: Train driver’s family sent legal notice to parliamentary panel over medical records
The family of the train driver who lost his life in the fatal train accident in Tempe, central Greece, last February sent a legal notice to the parliamentary investigative committee tasked with probing the tragedy on Wednesday.
The family accused Lazaros Tsavdaridis, a New Democracy party representative, of “attempting to shift blame onto the deceased driver by using medical documents, creating impressions of medical issues that supposedly rendered him unfit for work.”
The head-on collision occurred late night on 28 February 2023 when a northbound passenger train was mistakenly routed into the southbound track used by an oncoming cargo train. Fifty-seven passengers died, including both train drivers.
The family cited the train driver’s medical records which were presented at the Investigative Committee by the Conservative lawmaker to argue that the deceased man had suffered two strokes in the past, implying he was unfit for duty. The family stressed that the sealed medical documents were selectively referenced leaving out that the driver was deemed fit to conduct his duties.
In her testimony on Wednesday, the president of the Regulatory Authority for Railways said that drivers undergo strict medical exams and that the driver’s medical record has not yet been submitted to the committee.
Commenting on the process, PASOK leader Nikos Androulakis accused the ruling Conservatives of attempting to cover up those responsible for the tragedy.
