'Mum was feeding cats when car ploughed into shop' - hairdresser’s son

The hairdresser, whose Santa Venera salon was damaged when a car ploughed into it, narrowly escaped being hit, as she was outside feeding stray cats at the time, her son said.

The incident happened on Thursday morning, when a Y-plate vehicle crashed into Marica's Salon on Cannon Road at high speed. Photos and CCTV footage show that the crash caused extensive damage to the shop front and interior. 

While no one was in the salon at the time, the incident could have had more tragic consequences had owner Marica Baldacchino been inside at the time. 

While thanking everyone who had helped his mother after the accident, Baldacchino’s son Maverick wrote on Facebook that the crash happened exactly as his mother had gone to feed the cats. 

“Today a miracle happened and not a tragedy,” he wrote on Facebook, adding that the driver could have killed his mother and her clients. 

The taxi was being driven by a 42-year-old man from Somalia who resides in St Paul's Bay. After being taken to Mater Dei hospital he was found to be suffering from slight injuries. 

Sources said the driver had been active on ride-hailing platforms for around six hours and has had a Transport Malta tag since 2018. 

The CCTV footage shows cars driving past the salon's windows in either direction when suddenly a car crashes through the floor-to-ceiling glass doors at speed, smashing the furniture and stopping just in front of the reception desk.  

Passers-by who witnessed the incident quickly ran over and attempted to open one of the car doors to help the driver out, as others were heard screaming: "There is a man inside". 

Despite the damage, Maverick vowed his mother's salon would be open as usual on Friday morning following normal business  hours.

Police investigations are ongoing.