Mriehel fatality: Organ donation wish of young victim
Still no sign of promised footbridge
One of the two teenage victims of a traffic accident on the Mriehel Bypass in 2005 had spoken about being an organ donor just days before the accident.
13-year-old Graziella Fenech told her family she wanted to get an organ donor card now that she was "growing up".
Her mother Carmen quickly dismissed the thought, telling her that she should not be discussing this sort of things at her age.
That same week, in August 2005, Graziella lost her life, two days after being run over with her friend, Emma Marie Housley, on the Mrieħel bypass, an accident for which the driver received a suspended sentence last week.
When doctors first asked if they wanted to donate any of her daughter's organs when she was pronounced dead, her father's reaction was to tell them not to touch a hair, he was so distraught, Mrs Fenech said. However, they changed their minds, bearing in mind Graziella's words, and everything that could be donated was.
What they kept were a few strands of hair, tied up with a plastic band and hung over the shoulder of a statue of Our Lady.
Their pride in Grazziella is evident in the pictures in all shapes and sizes of her, hung all over the house.
Keen on sports, especially football, Graziella was always out and about and even played in a boy's team, Sta Venera United. Her pictures, especially the ones where she is seen playing football, are hung on practically every wall in the Qormi house.
Not a day goes by when her family does not think of her, but last week, a new surge of emotions broke loose again when Ivan Cutajar was found guilty of causing the girls' death by not keeping "a proper look out" and exceeding the speed limit.
Mr Cutajar, who was 23 at the time, was given a two-year jail term suspended for four years and a €4,000 fine - a punishment the family finds "disgracefully" lenient.
But besides the anger and pain at the sentence, the stories in the press and especially footage of the accident shown in the past days alongside news of the judgement were particularly painful.
Mrs Fenech recounted how one particular news report brought her back to the scenes she confronted when she ran to the accident site and saw her daughter sprawled on the road.
Strangely, the family did not hear the crash, even though their kitchen door and windows were open onto a terrace that overlooks the road.
They were eating a pizza when a family friend rushed into the house and told them that two girls had been run over.
At first Mrs Fenech did not believe her and told her shouldn't joke like that, but when she saw the tears streaming down her face, she realised it was serious and ran down to the spot.
She arrived before the ambulance did and knelt next to the first girl she found. As she stroked her face, saying "Graz get up, Graz...get up", she felt someone pull her away and say that it was not her daughter. She realised at that point it was Emma, who died on impact.
She went over to her daughter but she was not responding either. After a few minutes the ambulance arrived and a nurse took control of the situation and told her not to touch her.
"I thought that I was going to find her sitting on the side of the road with a grazed leg but never as I found her," she said.
At this point, Graziella's sister Lucinda, overcome with anger, says that because of the suspended jail term handed down to the driver, she had lost all faith in the Maltese courts.
Graziella's father's Johnnie Cutajar said the sentence sent the wrong message to young drivers - that they might as well put their foot down.
STILL NO SIGN OF PROMISED FOOTBRIDGE
The authorities have yet to explain why work on a promised footbridge over the Mrieħel bypass has not yet started, four years after the two teenage girls were killed while crossing the road.
The bridge was promised back in 2006, following the double fatality, by then Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliette, who said a steel structure was expected to be completed the following year.
In fact, the transport authority filed a planning application for the bridge in September 2006 and the planning authority granted the permit seven months ago.
But both the transport authority and ministry have been tight-lipped about the reason behind this delay -- questions sent days ago to both entities have not yet been answered. The authority was asked why the bridge was never built, whether there were still plans to build it or anything else that could help residents cross the busy road, and to outline any plans and by when any project was expected to be completed.
The Times also asked the ministry whether there were still plans to build the bridge and when this was expected to be completed.
A number of readers who commented on timesofmalta.com argued that the revenue from the speed cameras on that road should have been used to build the promised bridge.
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Raymond Sammut
Dec 20th 2009, 22:12
@ Ramon Casha --"The people commenting below should keep in mind that the driver was found NOT GUILTY of negligent driving."
You are mistaken, Mr Casha. Here is what was reported in a previous article on this tragic incident: "Ivan Cutajar, who was 23-years-old at the time, was found guilty of causing the girls’ death by not keeping “a proper look out” and exceeding the speed limit. He was acquitted of negligent driving."("Traffic victim's mother finds court sentence 'disgraceful'", 11Dec09.)
The driver was found guilty, and received a 2-year sentence. Acquittal in court does not mean that the accused did not commit the crime. The magistrate is simply allowing some benefit of doubt to the accused.
In some cases, acquittal is granted several times, thus requiring the accused --and other affected parties in the case-- to reappear in court likewise several times until enough evidence is brought forward by the prosecution that can lead to a more just sentence.
The onus always rests with the driver to ensure that speed commensurate visibility under prevailing conditions for the benefit of everybody. A motor-car is a lethal machine and the driver alone is in control of that machine.
Nikki Zahra
Dec 19th 2009, 20:05
@ J Grima
Quote from the Guiness Book of Records 2004 (slightly outdated I'll admit) page 78.
"Malta has the lowest fatality rate in road accidents with 1.6 per 100,000 population,"
Still no consolation for the families but food for thought on the big picture.
R Z
Dec 19th 2009, 19:26
@J. Grima
Actually what I meant by my last sentence was that we should not point fingers at anyone but be the example ourselves.
G.Agius
Dec 19th 2009, 14:51
It's always sad when a life is lost, but why do people always blame the drivers?? we always say careless drivers, negligent drivers, reckless driving and so on. we never say careless crossing of the road. after incidents happen everyone tries to point out fingers onto others and that's not fair. Everyone should be responsible for his own act. Please don't take me wrong, I am in not any moment saying that I'm not sorry for the accident far from it, but please don't be insensitive to others. there are pedestrian crossing lights in the Mriehel by-pass. If i were the driver I would be very sad to be accused for it, I know it's very hard to lose a person in your life but please let's all be sensitive to others.
J. Grima
Dec 19th 2009, 02:15
@ R. Zammit
Yes we do have to show empathy with the families who lost their young daughters, but your last sentence shows that you still believe it was entirely the driver's fault, which to my opinion was definitely not 100% his fault.
On the other hand, yes Maltese drivers are known to be one of the most dangerous drivers in Europe to say the least, and it is not just a rumour but a fact, so yes let's all be safe drivers to prevent clumsy accidents from happening.
Lucy Cutajar
Dec 18th 2009, 23:02
My cousin Graziella and her friend were 2 angels ,we miss You and love you, pray for us because there are no rights in our place,hope that justice will punish those responsible.
R Z
Dec 18th 2009, 20:16
@D. Vella
I happen to have been one of a number of lucky persons who knew one of the victims of this tragic accident, and I know as a matter of fact that they used to cross the road to get to their houses, and their friends. This was their only solution to meet since no under passage or footbridge exists.
In most cases I do believe that it is not fair to just point and blame at 'someone' but on the other hand i do believe that your comment is totally unfair to family and friends of the victims.
Unfortunately in this world, two wrongs don't make one right and in this occasion two teenagers have paid the price at the expense of their lives.
We all want better/safer roads don't we? Lets start from being safer drivers ourselves.
D. Vella
Dec 18th 2009, 18:27
I don't mean to be arrogant in any way, and I would like to express all my sympathies to the family of the girl, however, what was she doing crossing the Imriehel by-pass in the first place? Doesn't everyone know that there is a speed limit of 70km/hr? And I am 100% positive that no one drives any slower in that road... Any driver would not be expecting to have someone cross the road right in front of them. It is NOT FAIR to give all the blame to drivers! As I have commented on a previous article, pedestrians should also watch where they're walking!!
Joe Grima
Dec 18th 2009, 18:18
@ Martin Saliba. There are always two sides to an issue and you may be right too. The fact remains that two families have lost two young daughters forever and that two young lives have been cut down just as they had started to bloom. My heart goes out to these families who must have been struggling with the pain of their loss for these two years. The driver too deserves our consideration. He has to live with this tragedy for the rest of his life and keep his sanity in the process.
GiovDeMartino
Dec 18th 2009, 17:59
If we had to build a bridge wherever there is a traffic fatality, Malta will certainly have more bridges than there are in the whole of Europe.!
Ramon Casha
Dec 18th 2009, 17:05
The people commenting below should keep in mind that the driver was found NOT GUILTY of negligent driving.
martin saliba
Dec 18th 2009, 15:16
@ Joe Grima. Its is heart wrenching when a young life is taken for whatever reason and i wish to offer my condolences to he family but, you said that the driver received a two year suspended sentence for negligently taking the life of an innocent young girl. It is not always the fault of the driver. In this case the two girls probably share most of the fault for crossing from where they did. So one could also say that they negligently have given nightmares to this man for the rest of his life.
mjbagley
Dec 18th 2009, 13:10
Yes, I wonder why the footbridge has not been built yet, maybe just waiting for the EU to fund it....
clive borg
Dec 18th 2009, 11:24
'' Graziella's father's Johnnie Cutajar said the sentence sent the wrong message to young drivers - that they might as well put their foot down '' -
Yes if you just read it, or hear it you get the message that killing a person , you wont pay anithing harsh for, but you should note that he wasn't driving drunk... he was penalised for overspeeding ( not at high speed though as other drivers do drive) and for a proper lookout....
Even if your driving in a village driving at 20km/h and someone comes running infront of your car, your reflexes arent quick enough to stop... bear in mind if you are on a bypass..
JOSEPH ZAMMIT
Dec 18th 2009, 10:41
I am heart-broken reading this article. I am a parent too and I KNOW how much life is precious, every breath we take is a miracle in itself.
I am very angry too with the people who fashion these stupid laws. The suspended jail term handed down to the driver adds much insult to injury and shows me how insensitive we are to human life. It is true that they should never have crossed the road from that spot--but this does not justify careless driving. If someone crosses the road when the lights are green for the driver, it does not mean he/she can run the person over.
How sad! May GOD give the family strength. Very sad indeed.
Joe Grima
Dec 18th 2009, 10:32
Sometimes the adminstration of justice in Malta becomes totally incomprehensible. As Graziella's sister Lucinda said, among so many, there is no faith in the justice system left. Who on earth can justify a two year suspended sentence for negligently taking the life of an innocent young girl. It is not a question of an eye for an eye but how can anyone convince this family, who has lost a daughter at such a young age, that justice has been done? At least something ppositive has come out of this tragedy. Through her donated organs Graziella lives on. I don't know how much of a consolation that could be to parents, brothers and sisters who have lost so tragically and so abruptly someone who was and remains as much loved as Graziella must have been.
Christian Sciberras
Dec 18th 2009, 10:18
Beaurocracy...
A Coppini
Dec 18th 2009, 09:46
"Her mother Carmen quickly dismissed the thought, telling her that she should not be discussing this sort of things at her age." - How sad....
"Mr Cutajar, who was 23 at the time, was given a two-year jail term suspended for four years and a €4,000 fine" - Really sad...
"The authorities have yet to explain why work on a promised footbridge over the Mrieħel bypass has not yet started, four years after the two teenage girls were killed while crossing the road." - Just a really sad mess.