The tragic death of a 21-year-old man has left his family and friends in shock after he was burned alive in a horrific car crash in Agrinio late Saturday night (July 5, 2025). According to the young man’s aunt, who spoke to newsit.gr, the victim had attended a birthday party with friends and was returning home when the accident occurred. Another two individuals were injured and rushed to the hospital.
Describing the heartbreaking event, the grieving relative said, ‘They had gone to a birthday party and were coming back with the girl. She managed to get out of the car, but my nephew got trapped and was burned alive by the flames.’
The deceased, named as Thanasis, had recently completed his studies as a refrigeration technician and was finishing practical training to obtain his degree. A passionate boxer since childhood, Thanasis is described as a beloved member of a tightly knit family. His parents work at Agrinio General Hospital — his mother in hematology and his father in radiology — while one of his older brothers studies in Patras.
The fatal incident occurred on the Antirrio-Ioannina National Road near Polikladi, where the car driven by the 21-year-old veered off the road and collided head-on with a van driven by a 31-year-old man. The impact sent the car crashing into metal barriers before flipping into a ditch, where it caught fire. Emergency crews found the driver completely engulfed in flames and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Following the collision, the 17-year-old female passenger in the car and the 27-year-old female passenger in the van were both taken to Agrinio General Hospital for treatment. The 31-year-old van driver was arrested by local traffic police for investigation. Authorities have temporarily closed both lanes of the national highway during the investigation.
An official inquiry into the cause of the crash is currently underway.