Biker fined Lm60 for causing traffic accident

A motorcyclist was yesterday fined Lm60 for causing a traffic accident, in which he and his pillion rider were seriously injured, when he rode his machine on the wrong side of the road and collided with a car.

The driver of the car was fined Lm200 for refusing to take a breathalyser test but was cleared of causing the accident.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera heard how the accident took place in Tower Road, Sliema, on February 27, 2000, at about 2.30 a.m. when a motorcycle ridden by Stephen Zammit, 29, of Zabbar, collided against a car driven by Alex Vella, 33, of Siggiewi.

Zammit and Charlotte Micallef, who was riding pillion, were headed towards Sliema while Vella was driving in the direction of St Julians.

After evaluating the evidence, the magistrate ruled that Zammit had caused the accident because he drove on the wrong side of the road. Therefore, whether or not Vella was under the influence of alcohol, as was suspected by the police on the scene, had nothing to do with the accident, the court ruled.

Police Inspector Mario Bonnici prosecuted.