‘I saw my leg on the ground’ - Victim of Sliema horror crash speaks out

Two months ago, delivery driver Maurice Galea was closing the rear shutter of a truck parked along The Strand, Sliema, when a car suddenly ploughed into him, crushing him against the vehicle and severing his left leg on impact.

The 57-year-old had been barely an hour into his first day at a new job when he fell onto the road.

“When I saw my leg on the ground, I immediately started worrying: Will I survive? How will I continue life? How will I work?”

He was speaking from his hospital room at Mater Dei Hospital, surrounded by relatives supporting him through his recovery.

Maurice explained that he had been working part-time as a pizzaiolo and, for the past three years, as a morning delivery driver. Some time ago, he was offered a trial with a different company.

His first day was May 6.

The scene of the crash in Sliema

“At 5.45am, I was picked up. Since I was new and this was a trial, I started working with another driver to show me the ropes. I was the passenger and he drove. We delivered goods to a few groceries before we arrived at a shop on The Strand at about 7.15am.”

The van was double-parked.

“I unloaded the goods, then went to close the van. As I pulled down the shutter, he came out of nowhere onto me. The shutter of the van went up on impact. My leg flew under the van and I fell to the ground,” he said.

“I remember it clearly. As I was on the ground I saw blood gush out. Within seconds – 20 seconds – a police car arrived. A police officer came running out. He undid my belt and tied my leg. The driver of the car came up to me and asked if I was okay. He reeked of alcohol.”

A police officer at the scene of the crash.

Within minutes, an ambulance arrived and Maurice was sedated before being rushed to hospital, where he underwent an emergency 11-hour operation.

His left leg, which had been severed on impact near the ankle, later had to be amputated higher up because of infection. His right leg sustained extensive injuries. Doctors tried to save it using muscle and skin grafts from other parts of his body.

He woke up three days later.

Emotional, he paused before saying: “When I woke up, I saw these all round me,” glancing at his sister, brother, son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. “I saw my leg like that. It was the shock of my life… How will life go on? How will I work?”

His focus then shifted to recovery. He spent two weeks in the intensive therapy unit, underwent several more operations, was later transferred to a ward and, eventually, he will be moved to Karin Grech Hospital for rehabilitation.

While Maurice was fighting for his life in the operating theatre, his family was already dealing with court proceedings.

The driver – of the Y-plate orange Peugeot that crashed into him – was arrested on the day of the crash and arraigned the following day.

Libyan national Ahmed Tahruni, 33, who lives in Attard and is unemployed, pleaded not guilty to causing grievous injuries through careless and dangerous driving, driving without a licence or insurance, driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, driving a Y-plate vehicle without a valid permit and providing the police with false details.

Maurice before the accident

During the arraignment, the police told the court that a breathalyser test recorded a reading of 131.8. Y-plate drivers are required to have no alcohol in their system.

Maurice has something to say about this. “My message to people who drink is not to drive, as what happened to me can happen to many more people. More spot checks are needed – not only taxis – but taxis especially need to be safer as they are driving people around,” he said.

The case has similarities to the fatal crash in which 62-year-old Mildred Azzopardi was crushed to death between two cars at Ta’ Liesse, Valletta, in 2025. In that case, Benjamin Chetcuti is pleading not guilty to involuntary homicide and drink-driving.

Court proceedings heard that a breathalyser test showed his blood alcohol level was more than five times the legal limit.

Maurice and his family now want to thank everyone who has helped him so far, particularly the police officer who came to his aid at the scene – whom he hopes to meet one day – and the staff at Mater Dei Hospital.

Now, however, they are asking for more help.

Months of rehabilitation still lie ahead. Maurice needs an advanced prosthetic limb because his remaining leg is too weak to fully support him.

His fourth-floor home has no lift. He can no longer drive. His future employment is uncertain.

The battle to secure the compensation he needs to rebuild his life is also expected to be long, difficult, expensive – and uncertain.

For this reason the family have two accounts for anyone wishing to donate money. BOV App 79900727 and Revolut 99778926/79900727.