A motorcyclist has made an appeal from his hospital bed for the public to help find a hit-and run driver who left him lying injured on a Ħamrun road.

Andre Spiteri suffered broken ribs, punctured lungs, a broken wrist and a dislocated shoulder when his motorcycle was hit by a van shortly after 11pm on Monday night.

The crash happened on Triq il-Kappillan Mifsud, police said.

The 23-year-old is recovering from his ordeal at Mater Dei hospital but the driver who fled the scene remains at large.

Appealing for information, the Tarxien Rainbows goalkeeper said he doesn’t know how he survived the crash.

Andre Spiteri’s severely damaged motorbike.

“One moment I was driving normally, and then the next, a bright white light was in my eyes, it came out of nowhere,” he told Times of Malta.

“I had no time to stop, and at that moment I closed my eyes and thought, ‘it’s do or die’”.

Spiteri had just dropped his girlfriend off after she took part in the Ħamrun carnival, which he attended after football practice to support her.

He was on his way home and remembers driving on a quiet road with very

few cars when a vehicle drove directly into his lane. A tracker on his mobile recorded the time the crash happened: 11.18 pm.

“It happened so quickly. One moment everything was normal, and the next, this van was driving into me,” he said.

While he does not remember the colour of the vehicle in the darkness, he is certain it was a van that drove into his lane.

Andre Spiteri’s broken wrist.

The moment the van hit him, Spiteri closed his eyes and felt his body being thrown into the air.

“My motorbike ended up in a corner and I landed on a zebra crossing further up,” he said.

“The hit was intense, and I don’t know how I am still here. I suppose God doesn’t want me just yet.”

Photos shared with Times of Malta show Spiteri’s bike severely damaged by the crash. He is grateful he was alone when the accident happened, and his girlfriend was safe at home.

Andre Spiteri before his accident.

Spiteri next remembers lying down on the ground and struggling to breathe.

“I couldn’t breathe, it was like someone was trying to choke me, and the pain started immediately,” he said.

“I could see that my wrist was broken, and I tried to lift my head and the visor slightly, but I didn’t remove my helmet.”

He recalled how a Syrian man rushed to his side and held his hand, while a woman who lives close by and heard the accident also stayed by his side.

“They both never left my side, and the woman stayed asking me questions to see what I remembered and how I was feeling,” he said.

His parents and girlfriend were in shock when they learned about the accident and are determined to get justice for him. From debris left on the scene, the van appears to be a Citroen Berlingo.

The police and paramedics arrived shortly afterwards, and he was taken straight to hospital, where he still is recovering days later.

Spiteri says he is thankful that his girlfriend was not with him at the time.

“Eight minutes after I dropped her home, the accident happened,” he said. “My life has changed completely right now. I cannot work or practise football now, I need time to recover.”

A police spokesperson said investigations are ongoing.