UPDATED: Boy killed as truck overturns in Mgarr
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A three-year-old boy from Zabbar, Pasqual Tagliaferro, was killed and two men, aged 31 and 60 were injured when an Isuzu truck crashed into a field near Mgarr, eyewitnesses said. The incident happened at around 12.15.
The police said the truck was being driven by the 31-year-old man, the boy's uncle, who was not seriously injured. The 61-year-old man, his grandfather, is in serious condition.
The truck apparently had a brake failure while being driven in Zebbiegh Road. It crashed through a metal barrier and overturned into a field slightly below street level, coming to rest upside down. The boy was in the truck cabin with the men. He died on impact.
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rachelle fiorini
Jul 31st 2008, 12:27
still can't imagine how life would be without little Pasq. All of us will miss your laughter playing with your nannu on your toy truck and your brothers and my kids. We have you all in our hearts and will love you and cherish you forever!! Miss you lots
Mark Spiteri
Jul 31st 2008, 11:25
I agree fully with the posts here. Parents should be made more aware that children (not only but all back seat passengers) should wear seatbelts.
It is incredible how parents can be so irresponsible !
One thing that drives me crazy in this country is that authorities have to wait for a tragedy to get moving.
If you take a look at our streets on a daily basis, you see loads of families going to Sliema,Bugibba etc with their cars while the children are running around on the back seat
Melissa Bagley
Jul 30th 2008, 22:30
I cannot but agree with Mr Paul Falzon on a very important issue he has put on this blog.
It certainly boggles the mind that one can see parents are safely belted up, but young children are allowed to roam free in the back - imagine what could happen....child/ren catapulted out of back seat, moving at the same speed that the car has been moving, right into the front window.
Please.....
John Falzon
Jul 30th 2008, 16:49
As a parent myself I cannot but sympathize with the parents of this young boy.
Although one certainly cannot judge without knowing the precise facts, I feel this might be a good time for the authorities to run a short but frequent ad on the media about the importance of people (especially children) wearing seat belts.
All too often I have seen cars where the mums or dads are themselves well belted up in their vehicle whilst the child is standing on the rear seat in the middle of the car. Obviously the child will be the first victim of any accident. I have even seen such drivers pass right by wardens - and that really makes my blood boil.
J Borg
Jul 30th 2008, 12:35
What a tragedy. Our island has lost two young lives in a short time. Our prayers go to them. If the crash was head on a safety belt and booster seat may not have saved his life.... I understand he was wearing them at the time?
Parents and anyone who put young kids in cars, please please please avoid front seats for kids. Learn to control your kids. You should be the RESPONSIBLE parent. Dont exuse it as saying "Ghax ma joqghodx/toqghodx kwieta wara. My son used a booster seat until he was the right height for the seatbelt. Why do we have seatbelts? There is a reason you know.
Please take care of your kids. The roads are dangerous as they are. Dont add odds to the combination.
Condolences to the family and mourning mother.
Il-Madonna tal-Grazzja mieghek.
Joseph Caruana
Jul 30th 2008, 11:17
At law, a boy of that age should have been riding in the rear seat on a child booster seat. Given that there was no back seat on the van, he should have never been made to ride in it in the first place.
The driver is ultimately responsible for the safety of his passengers.
May he rest in peace. What a waste!
A. Borg
Jul 30th 2008, 08:53
My deepest sympathy for the family. What an unfortunate tragedy! May he rest in peace.
Mandy Spiteri
Jul 29th 2008, 21:55
Such a shame. Condolences to the family.
Jesmond Navarro
Jul 29th 2008, 20:56
My deepest sympathy to the family of the child lost in this tragedy.
Jean Pierre Aquilina
Jul 29th 2008, 20:50
Actually accidents are very unlikely to happen, if at all. A human is always responsible for a car crash save for exceptional circumstances. Hence such incidents should be referred to as crashes and not accidents.
C Borg
Jul 29th 2008, 20:07
Did the accident actually happen in Zebbiegh or the junction Tas-Salib/Ghajn Tuffieha Rd?
David Buttigieg
Jul 29th 2008, 19:45
I agree it's a tragedy but I have a suspicion that there was certainly no child seat in use.
I have a son that age. My heart and prayers go out to the family.
victor vella
Jul 29th 2008, 19:17
Please let s not start trying to be detective Mock or whatever his name is.Accidents do happen some small some big some negligible some fatal.I do not believe that a man who takes his nephew with him on an errand will risk anything.Who knows how happy the boy was going for a ride with his uncle? God help the boy's relatives especially the parents.
john borg
Jul 29th 2008, 16:35
accidents unfortunately happen, blaming someone or finding whos at fault will not help much at this point .....its a tragedy,
Ramon Casha
Jul 29th 2008, 16:35
Although I agree that one should not yet jump to conclusions, from what I can gather the victims were inside the truck.
One often sees trucks and other large commercial vehicles used as a family car - something for which they are not intended. When a truck is empty, it becomes not only very fast but also difficult to control since it does not have the weight of its load to help the tyres maintain their grip. They typically also don't have safety equipment like airbags, roll bars and so on. No back seat either, so the child was probably held on the mother's lap.
The truck's weight makes it more likely to go straight through a crash barrier or wall, and its high centre of gravity increases its chance of tipping over. These last two characteristics are, incidentally, also true of most SUVs, which is why you are statistically about 10% more likely to die in an SUV than a standard family car.