Updated - Adds picture, details about the victim - A German tourist died in a horrific traffic accident in Tower Road, Sliema, this morning. 

The incident happened at about 11.45a.m. near Il-Pjazzetta.

The victim, Rainer Mader, 43, who arrived in Malta yesterday, was hit by a black VW Golf car which had earlier been involved in a traffic accident.  He was pinned between a pick-up truck and the car.

Victim Rainer Mader (left) seen with his friend Paul Galea.

Mr Mader visited Malta several times and was known for his love of the country and of scale modelling. He even knew some Maltese. At the time of the incident he was carrying magazines related to the military and scale modelling when he was hit.

The VG Golf stopped briefly, then kept on going. However the driver - a 36 year-old man from Zurrieq - was caught further down Tower Road and arrested by the police, who also searched his car for drugs.

The owner of the car involved in in the first incident told Times of Malta that she had parked her car at the corner of Bisazza Street and gone on an errand. As she was returning to her car, she saw the Golf crash into it and drive on. Then moments later she heard another loud crash and people screaming and found that the same car  was involved in another incident.

The driver of the pick-up truck said he was in his vehicle when the tragedy happened. The force of the impact turned the light truck some 45 degrees and pushed it into a wall.

The victim died on the spot from his injuries. An eyewitness said the injuries were so horrific that people were calling out to each other not to look.

The Association of Scale Model Engineers, of whom Mr Mader was a member, expressed its sorrow.

"May he rest in peace and be remembered for his lovely character, his friendliness, his passion for scale modelling and his love for Malta and the Maltese people," the association said.