An unlicensed driver who hit an elderly pedestrian about to cross a narrow thoroughfare in the heart of Balzan and who later fled from the scene of the accident, was given a suspended sentence, a driving ban and a fine for his reckless and dangerous driving.

Roger Mahlangu, 34, from Balzan, was charged with having involuntarily harmed the victim through his dangerous and reckless driving whilst taking the wheel without a valid insurance cover.

One afternoon in March 2014, the accused had been rushing back to his workplace, to retrieve his mobile which he had left behind, when the accident occurred.

While manoeuvring the borrowed vehicle along Balzan’s one-way Main Street, he had swerved suddenly to the right to avoid hitting an elderly woman who had allegedly stepped out from behind a parked vehicle on the left, the accused had later told the police.

Upon realising that he had hit the pedestrian with his side mirror, the driver had got out to offer his assistance but had taken his leave when another man intervened to help the elderly victim who had ended up on the ground, the accused had explained.

However, this version was contradicted by two eye witnesses who happened to be present when the accident took place.

One of these was a neighbour who lived opposite the victim’s home. She had been talking to the elderly lady shortly before the accident and was walking to her car when she heard shouting. Turning round she had caught sight of the victim in a heap in the middle of the street.

The driver had got out of his car, told off the victim for having exited onto the street and drove off.

Another witness had testified how, while standing with his back to the street, he had heard the loud blaring music from a car stereo. Upon hearing a sudden ‘bum’ he had turned round and saw the elderly lady on the ground.

The witness had explained how, with the help of a third party, he had assisted the injured woman into her home across the street. The victim could only hobble along, crying out in pain every step along the way.

Returning to the street a short while later, the witness recalled that the driver had vanished from the scene.

The victim herself had told the police how she was waiting to cross the street back to her house when she was hit by the car whose driver had got out, asked her why she had stepped out before getting back into the vehicle and driving off.

Medical experts had certified that the victim had suffered a fractured hip and had since passed away, though not on account of the injuries related to this episode.

The court, presided over by Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech, deplored this “I don’t care attitude” of the accused, remarking that “he did not manifest the least degree of human decency by stopping to assist the elderly lady in time of need”.

Although acknowledging a degree of contributory negligence on the part of the victim, who had not halted in her tracks upon noticing the oncoming vehicle,  the court concluded that the accident had been caused by the reckless attitude of the driver.

Instead of paying extra care when driving through the village core’s narrow streets, he had kept his car stereo full on and had failed to slow down upon catching sight of the elderly pedestrian to his left.

When determining punishment, the court observed that the accused was a relapser whose criminal record bore witness to his past offences, mainly involving threats against public officers.

After declaring the man guilty, the court condemned him to a jail term of six months suspended for 30 months and a fine of €5,000. The court also banned the accused from holding a driving licence for 18 months from the date of judgment.

Inspector Josric Mifsud prosecuted.