Chantalle Gauci named as victim of St Julian’s accident
Shocked family pay tribute to her ‘joyful life’
Updated at 9.20 am with more tributes
A 38-year-old mother who was killed in St Julian’s after being crushed by her car on Thursday has been named as Chantalle Gauci.
In a tribute posted on Facebook, president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said her thoughts are with Gauci’s family during this difficult moment.
“A huge shock this evening. Rest in peace Chantalle,” Metsola wrote.
Kurt Vella Fonde, her cousin, said Gauci will be dearly missed. “Thank you for the joyful life you lived, for your passion to our family, for always offering yourself to keep us together,” he wrote.
“May we who are still in shock and cannot find a meaning or an answer to all the questions and doubts we have, find the courage to keep united and cherish every moment together.”
Mark Schembri said Gauci’s death broke his heart.
He recalled Gauci as a young girl focusing on her homework in his office.“You had a happy character, a joker, but above all, you are a mother of a small angel,” he wrote.
Marylyn Mifsud said Gauci’s death is a “tragedy difficult to understand”.
“So many good memories we shared together. A beautiful soul. Heartfelt condolences to all her family.”
Earlier on Thursday, sources told Times of Malta her daughter, aged six, was inside the vehicle at the time of the accident in Triq L-Arċisqof Romero, just off Birkirkara Road.
It is still not clear what led the car to roll backwards. Gauci, from St Julian’s, was somewhat trapped by the moving vehicle and suffered fatal injuries.
As news of the tragedy spread, distraught family members arrived at the scene.
Police and forensic experts cordoned off the area to conduct further investigations.
The child is believed to be unharmed.
A man who was close to the site of the accident told Times of Malta: "I heard a big bang and I saw a lot of people gathering around the woman who was bleeding".
"I quickly called an ambulance, which arrived within minutes."
At 7pm, the road was still closed to traffic.
In a police statement on Friday, Magistrate Anthony Agius Bonnici opened an inquiry into the crash and appointed a number of experts to assist him in the inquiry.
Police investigations are ongoing.