Motorcyclists have reacted with disbelief to a court expert’s official version of events that led to the death of Mark Camilleri in 2020.

Earlier this week, a woman was acquitted of causing the death of the 46-year-old motorcyclist after he crashed into her car as she emerged from a side road.

The fatal traffic accident happened on February 1, 2020, on Mistra bridge.

The court concluded Camilleri had been driving recklessly, travelling at 195km/h while standing up with his right hand in the air, preventing him from using both brakes.

In the wake of the verdict, however, motorcyclists and others have taken to social media to express their incredulity, calling Camilleri’s supposed actions “impossible”.

Sceptics say he would have been unable to stand up while travelling at such speeds due to being dismounted by the wind pressure. 

They also question how Camilleri was able to use the throttle with his right hand while it was up in the air. 

“What I know, as will anyone who has ever ridden a motorcycle, is that what is claimed in the judgment... is virtually impossible,” motorcycle rider Mark Micallef wrote on Facebook.

“You cannot stand on a bike while doing those speeds because the wind would dismount you. More importantly, you cannot accelerate if your right hand is in the air because the throttle is on the right!”

Echoing Micallef’s sentiments, Jerome Licari questioned how Camilleri could have accelerated to 195km/h speed while his throttle hand was in the air.

“The court expert doesn’t even know that a bike’s accelerator is on the right of the handlebar and must be held firmly down to ever reach that speed,” he wrote.

Not even the living can get a proper judgement, let alone the dead

Rene Rossignaud drew attention to the state of the bike following the accident, which, from a photo issued by the police in the aftermath of the accident, appears to show it largely intact. 

“I had a similar accident at 80km/h and my bike was in parts all over the road. This bike ironically is fully intact after a 195km/h crash,” he wrote. 

Meanwhile, David Anastasi said the sentence “has all the ingredients for an appeal”.

One motorcycle school Times of Malta spoke to said there was “no way” Camilleri could have been standing while travelling at 195km/h.

“Even at 100km/h, just raising your hand to adjust the helmet can be difficult,” said a spokesperson from Streetwise Motorcycle School.

She added it was “doubtful” the model of motorbike involved in the crash could have reached such a high speed. 

The court heard that Camilleri had overtaken a bus in the moments leading up to the accident, though the bus driver said he did not see the impact occur. 

Another witness confirmed the motorcyclist had overtaken him at excessive speed.

According to the court judgement, these incidents, along with his speed and stance on the bike, were “all bad practice and exposed his life to unnecessary risk and danger”.

Taking this into account, the court found the driver of the car not guilty of causing his death. 

Reacting to the judgement, numerous Facebook users questioned whether it represented justice for Camilleri, with one person writing, “not even the living can get a proper judgement, let alone the dead”.

Questions were sent to the police.