Investigations into the death of Marie Claire Lombardi, killed when her Yamaha bike skidded on olives spilled on the road by a passing vehicle, took a turn when an eye witness supplied details of the van with a distinctive sticker. 

Details about how the police identified the van driver emerged on Wednesday afternoon at the first hearing of the compilation of evidence against Joseph Cortis, 79, from Dingli, who denies the involuntary homicide of the biker. 

The incident happened on October 22 when Lombardi was riding near the roundabout at the intersection between the road leading to Saqqajja Hill and Mdina Road in Rabat.

Prosecuting inspector Roderick Attard testified about the call from a fellow sergeant alerting him to the incident, which had occurred when Lombardi lost control after skidding on the spilled olives that had been squashed into a slippery pulp by passing traffic. 

Crushed olives at the scene of the accident on Mdina Road, Rabat.

The bike ended up a few metres away from the spot where the victim was found.

She was rushed to Mater Dei Hospital in a critical condition and died soon afterwards. 

A postmortem examination confirmed that she had suffered a deep wound under the chin, other injuries in the lower part of her body, her hand was dislocated and there were also other serious injuries. 

The police immediately closed the accident site until the squashed olives were cleared away to remove potential danger not only to motorcyclists but also to other passing vehicles. 

Police investigations kicked off and a number of olive processors were questioned.

Meanwhile, the victim’s husband made a public appeal for information to help identify the suspect responsible for spilling the olives. 

A turn came about in December when a man who happened to be driving near the roundabout, his wife a passenger, at around 5.30pm that October afternoon, stepped forward. 

Aldo Lombardi, right, spoke out publicly about the cause of his wife's fatal accident so that people could learn from it. Photo: Facebook

The eyewitness told police about a blue Isuzu van with a distinctive sticker which he had even drawn to better explain. 

That was the van which had dropped a green Pitkali crate of olives, said the man, who also identified the van driver on a photo parade put to him by the police. 

A search and arrest warrant was obtained and Cortis was arrested and his home searched.

The olive grove he tended in the area of Ħabel Bellu was also searched, said Attard, producing four photos he had snapped during the search, including an image of some green crates and dark glass bottles. 

Cortis’s van was seized.

Its colour matched that given by the eyewitness in his description. 

Traffic expert Mario Buttigieg had confirmed that the slippery olive squash was the prime cause of the accident. 

Other motorists who happened to be in the area also told the police about the van driver who had dropped a crate of olives that afternoon. 

Questioned by the victim’s lawyer, Arthur Azzopardi, the inspector said that the eyewitness and his wife had drawn the van driver’s attention to the dropped crate at the time. 

The man had told police that he had actually seen the crate fall. 

However, in cross-examination, defence lawyer Patrick Valentino made reference to the eyewitness’s version in the magisterial inquiry.

On that occasion the eyewitness described how he had just turned round a corner when he spotted a green crate on the road. 

He did not quite know what was scattered on the road surface, paying greater attention to traffic.

Attard pointed out that the eyewitness had supplied his version also to police who had collected camera footage from the area.

What about two other vehicles carrying a load of olives which had driven through that area that same afternoon, added the defence lawyer. 

“Did the police speak to the drivers of those vehicles?” 

A number of civilians had stepped forward describing a blue Isuzu van and their description did not match the other vehicles, said the inspector. 

“I don’t think that we sent for the others,” he added.

As his testimony drew to a close, the court, presided over by Magistrate Marse-Ann Farrugia, declared that there was sufficient prima facie evidence for the accused to face trial on indictment. 

The case continues next month. 

Lawyer Jacob Magri also appeared parte civile.