Man killed in Ilia in high-speed car crash

A 45-year-old man was killed in Ilia, southern Greece, early Thursday morning after crashing his vehicle into two utility poles at high speed. 

The man, originally from the village of Zaharo, was speeding down the Pyrgos-Patras national road in a BMW Z4 at around 3.30 a.m. when he lost control and plowed into two electricity poles, local media reported. The man was ejected from the vehicle and dismembered. His body was found by neighbors who heard the deafening crash and stepped outside to see what had happened.

The drivers of cars that followed notified the police while traffic was also stopped for several hours.

Local media say the victim was a known performance engineer who had taken place in many races around Greece. They also reported that he had previously been involved in two more serious car accidents, without providing further details.