The father of a Danish man who died after being hit by a car in St Julian’s a year and a half ago has been left in the dark as to what happened the night his son died.

Asger Emil Neidhardt, a 25-year-old IT entrepreneur, arrived in Malta on October 22, 2023, for a holiday with friends. Six days later, he died after he was hit by a Honda Accord driven by a 44-year-old man in the Regional Road tunnels.

While a police spokesperson said the family had been provided with updates on the investigation and the ongoing magisterial inquiry, Neidhardt’s father disputed this claim.

“Ten days after the accident, my son arrived in Denmark in a coffin, and we never heard from the Maltese authorities about what happened to him,” Lars Neidhardt told Times of Malta.

“It’s very frustrating to lose one’s child and not know what happened. Is the case being investigated? Is the driver facing any consequences? We are completely left in the dark.”

While details of the accident are scarce, Neidhardt was in touch with the friends who were the last to see Asger.

That night the group had gone out, yet Asger did not return to his accommodation with the others.

“His friends called and texted him during the night, but he never answered,” he said.

The next morning, the group headed to the police station to report their missing friend. There, a police officer informed them about the accident and asked them to identify the body. They confirmed it was Asger.

Later in the day, Asger’s mother received a call from the Maltese police informing her that her son was killed in a car accident. Neidhardt then found online media reports about his son’s death.

“One minute he is out for dinner and drinks, and then the next thing I find out is that my son is dead,” Neidhardt said.

Ten days later, Asger’s body arrived in Denmark. His father recalled how more than 300 people attended his funeral in Aabenraa, the town where he grew up.

Countless calls and emails

Following the funeral, the family contacted the Danish Embassy (based in Rome) to see how they could get more information on what happened to Asger. The ambassador advised them to contact the attorney general.

Since Asger’s death, his father has sent eight emails to the attorney general and made countless phone calls, only to receive the same response each time: the magisterial inquiry has not yet been concluded.

“It is now more than one year since my son died in Malta, and I still haven’t heard one word from the authorities in Malta,” Neidhardt wrote in his last email to the attorney general on December 6, 2024.

“Please be informed that the inquiry is not yet concluded,” was the response he received.

Neidhardt has started to question if anything has happened since the accident.

“I am never informed how long I have to wait for an update or if the case is still under investigation. Nothing.”

Asger Emil Neidhardt, a 25-year-old IT entrepreneur, arrived in Malta on October 22, 2023 for a holiday with friends. Photo: Lars Neidhardt

In a reply to questions regarding the magisterial inquiry, a police spokesperson said while the inquiry is still ongoing the family have been updated on the investigations.

“While the investigating officer communicates with the family since the victim’s family resides abroad, they have been updated about the investigations and the inquiry through the Danish Consulate,” the spokesperson said.

Neidhardt confirmed the family were never in touch with the authorities, nor did the Consulate reach out to them.

“We have heard absolutely nothing.”

‘Spread joy because of his positive attitude’

Neidhardt recalled how his son loved life and enjoyed travelling around Europe with friends for new experiences.

“He was a very caring, loving and funny young man, he loved his family and friends above all,” he said.

“He spread joy in the family and his surroundings because of his positive attitude and energy.”

The last time Lars saw his son was two weeks before he died, during a family weekend trip at a summer house.

“I hugged him in the driveway before he drove off back home. I still can’t believe that I will never see him again.”

This is not the first time that family members have raised questions about Maltese authorities following an incident.

In 2016, Mike Mansholt, a 17-year-old who came to Malta on holiday, was found dead at the foot of Dingli Cliffs. The Maltese magisterial inquiry concluded that Mike had died of natural causes and police closed the case.

While the Maltese and German post-mortem concluded that the teenager had no broken bones, the Medical University of Hanover uncovered that Mike was devoid of the heart, brain, neck organs, lungs, liver, pancreas, adrenal glands, right kidney, bladder, stomach and the small intestine.

His backpack, along with his phone and GoPro camera, were never found.

In 2021, Mansholt’s father asked the German courts to order the Maltese authorities to reopen investigations into his son’s mysterious death.