A distressed man suffering from a mental breakdown has been taken to Mater Dei hospital for treatment.

The man, whose identity remains unknown, was picked up by authorities after he was laid out on the side of a busy St Julian’s road yesterday following a viral incident.

In footage shared across social media – which Lovin Malta has chosen not to publish – the man, wearing an orange shirt, can be seen screaming every few seconds as he moves between cars on the road.

Eventually, he hits one car – leading to the driver to open his door, run after the man and punch him in the head from behind.

The distressed man, even after being attacked, does not attack back – but the driver continues to punch him, with a random other person also stepping in to throw in some blows.

Speaking to Lovin Malta, a police spokesperson confirmed the man was being treated for mental health issues, and noted that footage of the incident had been received by the police force for further investigation.

The police also urged the public to call them immediately when seeing an incident like this instead of just filming it and sharing on social media.

Following the incident, many people called for the driver to be charged with assault, with commenters online shocked at the sheer lack of empathy shown by the driver towards a man clearly in the midst of a mental breakdown.