The Patras–Pyrgos National Road has, over the years, borne witness to a countless number of tragic accidents that claimed hundreds of lives—until the construction of the modern highway, which now forms part of the Olympia Odos network.

Every kilometer of this stretch hides a tale of grief and absence—a family in mourning, a friend who is no longer there, a person who never made it home.

Anna Pollatou
It was May 17, 2014, when Greece was shaken by the tragic death of 31-year-old rhythmic gymnastics champion and Olympian Anna Pollatou, who lost her life in a car accident on the Pyrgos–Patras National Road near the Varda elderly care home in Ilia.

Anna was traveling to her hometown of Kefalonia to vote for her brother Dionysis, who was then running for regional council. On the Patras–Pyrgos highway, at the Varda nursing home area, Anna lost control of her vehicle, veered into the opposite lane, and collided with a pickup truck. The crash was fatal, and Anna died instantly.

Anna loved her roots and often confided in friends that she wanted to return to Kefalonia to raise a family. The local community was devastated, unable to believe that the smiling girl full of positive energy was gone so unfairly.

She was a member of Greece’s “golden” rhythmic gymnastics team, which brought home countless medals and titles in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including the bronze medal at the Sydney Olympics.

Nikolaos Georgiou
Nikolaos Georgiou, deputy head of the Drug Enforcement Division in Ilia and father of two girls, survived a gun attack during the arrest of a Romanian criminal, only to lose his life in a traffic accident on the Patras–Pyrgos road in March 2021. The 45-year-old died when his service vehicle crashed into a municipal garbage truck near Chanakia.

The car was reduced to twisted metal, and Georgiou was killed instantly. He was known as a model police officer and had received awards for his work. From a young age, he aspired to follow in his father’s professional footsteps—which he did, with great success. Years earlier, during a pursuit, he was shot in the leg by a suspect but managed to return fire, forcing the man to barricade himself in an apartment where he was later arrested.

Giannis Sassalos
In August 2024, Giannis Sassalos—well-known in Ilia and beyond for his expertise in cars—lost his life in a car accident on the Patras–Pyrgos National Road. For unknown reasons, he lost control of the BMW Z4 he was driving, crashing into two lampposts before the vehicle ended up in a roadside ditch. According to reports, the 45-year-old was ejected from the car and dismembered due to the force of the impact.

Sassalos was a renowned technician and tuner of high-performance cars and motorcycles. He loved speed and participated in various races—both on two and four wheels.

He was driving from Pyrgos to Amaliada when, near the Nea Vassiliada institution, he lost control of his vehicle and crashed into two metal lighting poles. The car ended up mangled in the ditch. Police, ambulance, and fire services responded immediately to the scene.

The Patras–Pyrgos National Road has long been a symbol of tragedy in Greece—its deadly record etched into the memories of families and communities, with each lost life a painful reminder of a route finally brought to modern standards too late for so many.