Relatives of a former bus driver who died in a traffic accident in Paola are calling for justice as they kick off plans to repatriate his body and beloved motorbike to the Philippines.

Edwin Lopez, 48, was driving his Honda motorbike on Triq l-Irvellijiet 1958 at around 4.15pm on Tuesday when he was involved in a crash with a Land Rover Discovery driven by a 37-year-old man from Paola. 

Lopez was taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance where he died a short time later. 

His son Bryan told Times of Malta that his family had very limited information about the incident. In calling for justice for the deceased man, his relatives are also calling on people with information or CCTV footage of the incident to come forward.

Reiterating what his former colleagues and friends in Malta said in online tributes, Bryan said his father was “a great driver”, loyal employee and “polite to others”.

I hope his bike will be flown over as well

The father-of-four left the Philippines some eight years ago, working in Dubai and Saudi Arabia as a truck and bus driver.

The family’s main breadwinner, he moved to Malta around 30 months ago, where he worked with Malta Public Transport until last year.

Bryan said his father used to keep himself occupied during his free time with part-time jobs to be able to financially support his family in the Philippines.

Lopez was a man who dreamed big, according to his son, showing his family how to never lose hope. But the incident shattered his and his family’s dreams.

Still in “shock” about the tragic loss, Bryan said his father did not get a chance to see his new grandchild.

Bryan said the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of funds have made it impossible for the family to come to Malta and they are looking into repatriating his body.

“I hope his bike will be flown over as well. It was his dream to have one like it, and it was very precious for him. For us, the bike would be a reminder of him,” he said.

On Tuesday, the police said a magisterial inquiry into the traffic death had been launched.

Questions sent to the police on Thursday remained unanswered at the time of writing.