'Mum, he’s dead,' driver cried after traffic fatality

“Mum, he’s dead,” a 23-year-old driver cried as he collapsed after a collision which caused the death of a motorcyclist last year, a court heard on Monday.

The driver, Matthias Laus from St Paul’s Bay, appeared in court on Monday, charged with negligently causing the death of 27-year-old Bulgarian motorcyclist Tenjo Kosev.

The accident happened on July 26 at about 1am on Triq Sant’Andrija, Pembroke.

Kosev was driving a Honda motorcycle home to Paola after a gym session when he was involved in a collision with a BMW driven by Laus.

Laus pleaded not guilty to causing Kosev’s death by negligent driving and failing to observe traffic regulations, among other charges.

Police inspector Nathan Bugeja testified that weather conditions were clear at the time of the accident and the road surface was dry.

Motorcycle made an 8.7-metre-long brake mark 

The motorcycle had been travelling from the direction of the Luxol Grounds towards Paceville and left a brake mark measuring 8.7 metres up to the point of impact, indicating heavy braking.

At the impact site, investigators also found another brake mark from Laus’ BMW, which was crossing from Triq Sant’Andrija into Triq Prof. Walter Ganado. The inspector said the BMW was found stationary in Triq Prof. Walter Ganado, approximately 15 metres from the motorcycle and 29 metres from the point of impact.

The inspector said that at the spot where the BMW stopped there was a “No Right Turn” traffic sign, as well as bollards intended to prevent vehicles from turning right there. The evidence indicated that following the collision, the victim was thrown from the motorcycle, struck the vehicle’s windscreen, and was then thrown into a nearby fence.

The accused is Matthias Laus.

Bodycam footage was also presented in court. At one point in the footage, Laus could be heard admitting that he had been driving the BMW and telling police that he was suffering from “severe shock”. Police immediately informed him of his legal rights.

Laus refused legal assistance and signed the refusal form provided by police. A breathalyser test was negative, indicating that he was not under the influence of alcohol.

Inspector Bugeja testified that Laus told police he had been at McDonald’s with his friend before the accident.

At a later stage, the accused asked about the victim’s condition, and Inspector Bugeja informed him that Kosev had died.

Upon hearing this, Laus collapsed to the ground and repeatedly shouted “Mum he’s dead”.

The following day, while at Mater Dei Hospital, Laus was again informed of his legal rights and once again declined legal assistance. He was asked to provide a urine sample and agreed to do so. The sample indicated the presence of alcohol.

According to a report prepared by scientific expert Godwin Sammut, a reading of 500mg of alcohol was considered indicative of binge drinking. Laus’ urine test registered 5,547mg, but the expert concluded that the alcohol had been consumed between one and three days before the accident. 

The findings confirmed there was no evidence that Laus had been driving under the influence of alcohol, particularly since the breathalyser test administered minutes after the accident returned a reading of 0mg.

The badly-damaged BMW after the accident.

On September 12, 2025, Laus gave a statement after requesting legal assistance from lawyer Vincienne Vella. He did not answer any questions.

Inspector Bugeja said CCTV footage from a petrol station located on the same road showed the motorcycle travelling downhill towards St Julian’s, while the BMW was turning.

A Nepalese witness who happened to be driving along the same road on the night of the accident also testified. He told the court that he was travelling from St Paul’s Bay to St Julian’s and was waiting at a red traffic light near the Luxol Grounds. When the light turned green, he proceeded towards the next set of traffic lights and saw a motorcyclist pass right beside him. He testified that the road was downhill and that he suddenly heard a collision.

“BUM,” the witness testified, recalling the noise he heard when the collision occurred.

He added that he then saw the collision involving “a sports motorbike and a white BMW,” facing each other.

Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech presided over the arraignment.

AG lawyers Justine Brincat assisted by police inspector Nathan Bugeja. Lawyer Veronique Dalli appeared for the victim’s family. 

Lawyers Vincienne Vella and Herman Mula appeared for the accused.

Mother's campaign

Kosev’s mother, Didi Krasteva, over the past months campaigned for legal changes and for Kosev, whom she lovingly called Teji, not to be forgotten. She also launched a parliamentary petition calling for a new offence to be introduced in law: Causing death or grievous bodily harm through serious negligence or dangerous driving.

Krasteva wants the offence to carry a mandatory minimum prison sentence and to remove the court’s discretion to impose suspended sentences.

The petition gathered more than 1,200 signatures, but Krasteva said the process was derailed when parliament was dissolved because of the election. However, she said this had not discouraged her from continuing her campaign.