The car that hit a 77-year-old tourist killing her on Sunday night in Qawra was travelling so fast her 78-year-old husband did not even see it as it zoomed past them, he said in court yesterday.

Maurice Whilems and his wife Elizabeth Tucknutt Whilems, from Sunderland, were crossing the road from the seaside towards the Qawra Palace Hotel when the tragic accident happened at about 10.30 p.m.

He was testifying during the arraignment of 18-year-old Mel Spiteri, of Birkirkara, who stands charged with involuntary homicide, driving without a licence and insurance cover, driving dangerously, failing to slow down near a zebra crossing and failing to stop following an accident.

When giving his particulars to the court, Mr Spiteri said he worked as a pleasure sea craft operator.

The couple knew the area where the accident happened well, having visited Malta for their holidays for the past 40 years, Mr Whilems said with tears in his eyes. They had stayed at the Qawra Palace for the past 12 years or ever since it opened.

Mr Whilems said that before crossing the road they stopped to allow three or four cars to drive through before looking both ways and then crossing. He had just passed the halfway mark with his wife a step ahead of him opposite the hotel door when there was a “burst of headlights” and a thump. The car, he testified, went so fast and everything happened so quickly that his first thought was his wife was still crossing the road.

He then turned and at first did not recognise his wife’s body because she was some 40 metres away. He was then taken into the hotel in shock and a doctor who happened to be on hand went to administer first aid. He was later told she passed away.

Under cross examination, Mr Whilems said there were two zebra crossings on the same road, one about 150 meters away and the other about 40 meters away from them. He said the road was well lit and the reason he did not use the crossing was because there were not many cars on the road and the hotel was right opposite them.

Brian Joseph Mortimer, from Liverpool, who was having a drink outside of the hotel, testified that cars were constantly driving through the road, adding that the vehicle that hit Ms Whilems was travelling at a very high speed.

He had only been at the hotel for three days but in his opinion the road was dangerous with cars driving through day and night.

Asked to describe the speed of the car in one word, he said: “Erratic”.

Mr Mortimer said that light on the road on the night in question was poor but the couple could be clearly seen on the road. The car did not even brake but just carried on driving after the impact, adding that the victim somersaulted over the vehicle.

Defence lawyer Franco Debono asked for bail arguing the two main witnesses had testified but Police Inspectors Therese Sciberras and Michael Mallia, prosecuting, said a girl, called Elisa, who was in the car, and another witness still had to testify.

Magistrate Miriam Hayman remanded the accused in custody and said she would consider bail once she had heard the other two important witnesses.