Reliving Trauma: Widow Of Hit-And-Run Cyclist Falls Victim To A Similar Incident In Sliema
Imagine being forced to relive the trauma of losing your partner in a hit-and-run accident. Years after the death of cyclist Clifford Micallef, his wife, Shirley, fell victim to a hit-and-run in Sliema.
In a Facebook post, Shirley Micallef Doughty revealed that on the 28th April at 11.53am while driving from Sliema towards St Julian’s, a driver coming from St Julian’s smashed against the side of her car – severely damaging it.
Twelve years ago, her husband Clifford Micallef was killed in a hit-and-run while cycling for charity. The incident has brought back all the emotions and memories of the fateful day where “the father of my three children was left there [on the road] dying”.
“It is a horrible feeling, having gone through it once I believed I had my fair share. Going through it twice in twelve years is just devastating and his case only closed recently,” she told Lovin Malta.
Speaking to Lovin Malta, Shirley explained that her car was left severely damaged as another vehicle scraped across the car from the mirror downwards and smashing its windows.
“We were in big shock, big panic”, Shirley said, explaining her initial reaction to the moment. Luckily, neither Shirley nor her passenger suffered any notable injuries, yet the driver did not stop at all after they collided with Shirley’s vehicle.
“On instinct, I turned right but I couldn’t see anything,” Shirley explained. “The airbags went off and they were hanging like curtains.”
The Hit-And-Run happened more or less in this location, outside of 8 Till Late
The incident led to Shirley’s car being smashed into a nearby parked car and left debris and smashed glass across the road that had to be cleaned up.
“The situation here is very serious, it is a very serious crime,” she emphasised, highlighting that the “maniac is still on the road”.
As of the writing of this article, the police investigation is still ongoing and is being led by the District Police.
Shirley has described that this incident has left her feeling “devastated”. She explained that “it is because this maniac is on the road and this incident has sent me down memory lane”.
She highlighted the “irresponsibility” on Malta’s roads as being “totally unacceptable”. She insisted that it is crucial for people to have the conscience to come to their senses and report such incidents should they ever be involved in them.
The damage done to Shirley's car was quite extensive
“I wish that we make people more aware of the circumstances and consequences.”
“They don’t even know who they would hit or what happened to them – we could have been dead or badly injured”, Shirley explained noting that in many cases, the other party could be vital to make sure that lives could be saved by calling the police and ambulance services.
Traffic incidents and hit-and-runs in Malta are not a rare occurrence. While it is particularly rare to see the same family be struck by such tragic events twice in their lifetimes, traffic-related accidents are a particularly painful point in Malta.
It is for this reason that it is always crucial for the public to be acutely aware of these situations – they are literally life or death moments.
If you have any information about what happened in this hit-and-run, or ever do have information of traffic accidents in the future, do not hesitate to contact the police. This includes any CCTV footage that you may have that could help.
It can truly make the difference for a family between getting a sense of closure and justice or feeling scared that these perpetrators still drive Malta’s roads.
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