After Suffering Hit And Run In Swatar, Motorcyclist Left Frustrated At Police’s Response
A motorcyclist has criticised the police for their response after she tried to report a hit and run in Swatar on Thursday night.
Sofia* told Lovin Malta that she was riding her motorbike in Swatar, close to the Arkadia Supermarket at around 10pm, when a car crashed into her from behind and drove away from the scene.
She escaped with a few bruises and her bike wasn’t damaged, save for a few scratches, but the impact was strong enough to make her lose her balance and fall off her bike.
She did manage to get the car’s number plate though, and when she went home she called up the Birkirkara police station to report the hit and run.
However, Sofia said the police officer on the line didn’t show any interest in the case, simply referring her to the Msida police station. When she called up the Msida station though, the officer gave her a LESA number, and when she called that third number up, she was told to speak to the police.
“I called the Msida police station again, very frustrated by that time, and the officer asked me what I wanted and whether it was related to my insurance,” she said.
“I told them I just wanted to report someone who was driving aggressively and they asked me whether I was injured and whether the bike was damaged. I told them that I’m fine and that the bike is OK but that it’s irrelevant because a hit and run is still a crime.”
Sofia said she informed the police that she had the driver’s number plate but that the officer on the line didn’t show any interest whatsoever or even ask her what the number plate was. After a while, she just hung up.
“It was clear that no one wanted to take ownership of the case and that I was wasting my time,” she said. “I think the police should at least investigate… the person who hit me is still driving and perhaps they have other charges to their name.”
A Spanish national, Sofia has been living in Malta for the past year and a half and this is the first traffic accident she’s been involved in.
“I know that riding a motorbike isn’t the safest thing to do in Malta but I’m always super careful,” she said. “I was lucky it wasn’t serious but I would have expected the police to do their job, not react rudely when I told them I had an accident. I’m so frustrated and disappointed; drivers act like this because they know they won’t get punished.”
*Her real name has been changed at her request to safeguard her anonymity
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