A driver who ran over two elderly pedestrians crossing a busy main road on their way to a coffee morning has been cleared of criminal responsibility over the incident.

Alexia Caruana Coppola had been driving her Fiat Punto from Lija towards Birkirkara early one morning back in February 2012 when she had suddenly come upon the two women while manoeuvring a bend on Naxxar Road.

The women had been walking out of Ganu Street and were halfway across Naxxar Road when they were hit by the oncoming vehicle.

In the course of criminal prosecution against the driver, who was charged with involuntary grievous bodily harm in respect of one of the victims, slightly injuring the other victim as well as driving dangerously, the elderly ladies’ version was contradicted by the testimony of third parties.

The two ladies had insisted that when crossing Naxxar Road at around 7.20am there had been no traffic, explaining that they had not walked further up to the zebra crossing.

However, a police sergeant who happened to be in the vicinity and saw the incident unfold testified that the accused had been driving slowly and had just gone past a bend in the street, heading straight into the blazing glare of the sun, when she suddenly found the two elderly pedestrians in her path.

On the basis of all evidence, the court, presided over by magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit, observed that the accused had been driving at a slow speed and had not been late for any appointment.

“As everyone well knows, Naxxar Road, on a weekday at 8.00am is normally very busy with traffic,” the court remarked, noting that the victims’ version was not realistic.

Moreover, given the fact that the driver had just taken a blind spot when she suddenly came across the two elderly pedestrians, swerving to avoid them, the court concluded that the accused was “completely exonerated” from criminal responsibility.

For this reason, the court pronounced an acquittal.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel.