A Christmas staff party ended in tragedy after a Dutch gaming company employee was killed in a hit-and-run accident involving a car allegedly driven by a Latvian colleague.

The incident happened in the early hours of yesterday at about 4am in St Andrew's Road, St Andrew's. Sources said that 20-year-old Luc Clous, who resided in Għaxaq, was hit while walking in a badly illuminated spot of this arterial road.

Upon seeing his friend’s body strewn in the middle of the road in a pool of blood, the panic-stricken colleague drove away

The sources said that 24-year-old Latvian, Vladimirs Puzanovs, who up to a few moments before was in the victim’s company at a Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq establishment, initially took little notice of the impact. However, he decided to stop and take a look after noticing that his friends, who were driving right behind him, had stopped to verify the nature of the impact.

Police sources said that, upon seeing his friend’s body strewn in the middle of the road in a pool of blood, the panic-stricken colleague drove away. The victim was certified dead on the spot a short while later.

Meanwhile, the suspect was traced to his Birżebbuġa apartment at about 9am following a tip-off.  A dark grey leased vehicle with a missing side mirror, identical to the one seen on the crime scene, was parked outside his flat.

Following interrogation, the suspect was arraigned in court and accused of manslaughter, reckless and negligent driving, speeding and damaging third party property. He denied all charges and was granted bail against a deposit of €2,000 and a personal guarantee of €8,000.