A driver who slightly injured a 10-month old toddler when his truck’s side mirror hit him in the face was cleared of criminal charges on lack of evidence.

Magistrate Neville Camilleri ruled there was not enough evidence to prove that Keith Brincat, 37, from St Paul’s Bay, was driving negligently.

The accident occurred in St Vincent Street, Sliema, at around 9.20am on Tuesday, when an Italian mother carrying her baby came face to face with the Isuzu truck as she was leaving her family home.

Police Inspector Neville Mercieca claimed the truck had mounted the pavement as it was being driven through the narrow street but the court heard no evidence to sustain this claim.

As for injuries sustained by the child, no doctor was brought to court to testify on the injuries and confirm under oath the medical certificate issued.

The magistrate upheld defence counsel Mark Mifsud Cutajar’s argument that neither was there any evidence to suggest the truck was being driven negligently.

The only evidence the court heard was that of the father, Guliermo Molina Rios, who was inside the house when the incident occurred and saw nothing.