An elderly man idly chatting at a bus shelter was killed yesterday when a car driven by an underage youngster crashed into the structure and caused it to collapse.

The man he was speaking to was critically injured in the accident, which took place on Mtarfa Road, Mtarfa, at about 10.30am.

The car, a white Toyota Tercel, was being driven by an unlicensed 17-year-old, who was taken to hospital suffering from extreme shock.

Upon impact, the bus stop collapsed and buried the elderly man

Victim Gianpatist Azzopardi, 65, had been waiting to be picked up by a relative at the bus stop, just across from his house, and was chatting to 61-year-old Joseph Vella. Mr Vella happens to be the brother-in-law of Mr Azzopardi’s brother.

“Upon impact, the bus stop collapsed and buried the elderly man who unfortunately sustained serious injuries and was certified dead on site,” the police said in a statement.

Mr Vella was taken to Mater Dei Hospital where he was “fighting for his life”, sources said.

The driver of the car, from Naxxar, managed to climb out of the badly damaged vehicle. A man driving along Mtarfa Road said he saw the teenager crouching by the side of the road looking shocked.

A magisterial inquiry was held and police sources said they were still investigating why the 17-year-old, who did not have a driving licence, was at the wheel of a car and whether he had permission.

People who gathered at the scene were heard remarking about how unlucky the two men were to have been “at the wrong place at the wrong time”.

Onlookers also noted that Mr Azzopardi was just recovering from an operation and the tragedy was further compounded by the fact that he was a widower who had recently lost one of his two sons.

Meanwhile, commenting on social media, some readers pointed out that the accident had been long predicted in Mtarfa because “a couple of youngsters drive recklessly at high speeds along the main road”.

But Mtarfa mayor Daniel Attard said that, while there had been reports of young people speeding, this happened in all localities and it was not concentrated in a particular part of Mtarfa.

This was confirmed by police sources as well as by Anton Mifsud, the regional president responsible for the Mtarfa area, who said this was just “a tragic accident” that could not have been foreseen.