Man pushed onto road and hit by car describes near-fatal ordeal to court

A man who was shoved onto the road and hit by a passing vehicle testified about the ordeal in court on Tuesday, explaining that he was having some drinks with friends when a Maltese man started the fight that left him with a hefty hospital bill.

Christian Cali, a 25-year-old construction worker from Gżira, is accused of pushing another man into the road while heavily intoxicated, moments before the victim was hit by a passing vehicle and left in a critical state.

Inspector James Turner testified on Tuesday about the altercation between the accused and the victim, which happened on 22 November at around 9:20am near St. George’s Bay. Turner told the court that a wider argument broke out between two Colombian men and a Maltese man. As the argument escalated, the men moved from inside the a bar to the seafront.

At one point in the fight, one of the Colombians was pushed off the pavement and struck by a passing vehicle. The man was taken to hospital while police secured and preserved the scene.

Police were told that the Colombian national was in danger of dying. Witnesses described the Maltese individual as aggressive and out of control. According to the victim, he was repeatedly shouting “show me respect” and challenging him to fight. The victim reportedly offered no resistance before being pushed, and medical updates later confirmed his life was at risk.

Testifying in court, the victim recalled that the incident took place at around 9am at a club called Pura Vida, located in St. Julian’s, opposite St. George's Beach. He had arrived at the club with a friend. The accused was already there when they arrived.

The witness explained that he and his friends were enjoying drinks at the bar when Cali approached them. “Have respect for me,” he said. “You need to show me respect.” Initially, they ignored him and continued to have fun. However, Cali persisted, repeating the same phrase and trying to provoke an argument.  The victim and his group of friends could not understand why Cali was acting this way. Despite the continued remarks, the victim and his friends kept drinking and tried to avoid the situation.

As they were about to leave the bar, Cali became more aggressive, appearing to be either “very drunk or under the influence of drugs”. As they left the bar, Cali followed them and started arguing with the victim’s friends.

To avoid further escalation, the victim and his friends decided to leave the bar and cross the road. Despite their efforts to avoid confrontation, Cali followed them outside. The witness described how Cali approached him and tried to fight him, but his friends intervened to protect him. Cali then allegedly pushed one of the victim’s female friends and began kicking her.

The victim tried to help the girl, but Cali turned to him and grabbed him, pushing him into the road. When asked about his actions during the altercation, he explained that he didn’t say anything or respond to Cali’s provocations. He recalled that when he tried to help the girl, he had his back turned, and that’s when Cali grabbed him and shoved him into the road.

After being pushed onto the road, the victim was struck by a car. The impact left him unconscious, and he could not remember anything until he regained consciousness in the hospital around two hours later.

The victim identified Cali as the person who had pushed him, based on his friends' accounts and the police’s confirmation.

Following the accident, he was taken to Mater Dei Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries. Doctors took seven x-rays of his head, back, abdomen, hips, and shoulder to rule out any broken bones or internal injuries. He had suffered from severe trauma, which significantly affected his mobility.  Doctors also discovered that an artery in his heart had shifted 2mm due to the impact.

The witness also presented a hospital bill in court, as he had to pay for his treatment while in Malta, since he was from Colombia.  He explained that, due to his financial situation, his sister had provided the money for his deposit and that he would pay the remaining balance in installments. He confirmed that he was still undergoing physical therapy, especially for his lower back and shoulder mobility.

He explained that doctors had ordered him to undergo physiotherapy in order to properly recover from the accident.  He added that his roommate is a member of a football team, and that his physiotherapist also serves as the physiotherapist for that team.

However, he said that he could not afford professional physiotherapy sessions and that this physiotherapist was helping him free of charge.

During cross-examination, the victim  clarified that he had no prior knowledge of Cali before the incident. He acknowledged that, during the argument inside the bar,  he could have said something to Cali, though he did not remember exactly what, as he had consumed some alcohol.

Although he had a few drinks, the victim insisted he was not intoxicated, contrary to suggestions made by the defence that he may have provoked the situation.

He explained that since he and his friends were not locals, they were not looking for a confrontation and had attempted to avoid the fight by leaving and crossing the road to the other side.  He testified that when he realised Cali was pushing him, he attempted to stop himself from falling. However, the impact with the oncoming car occurred almost immediately, leaving him no time to react or protect himself.

The victim was also questioned about his alcohol consumption at the time of the incident. Asked whether it was normal for him to be drinking at 9am, he replied that it was a Friday and he was spending time with friends.

Magistrate Kevin Azzopardi issued a protection order in favour of the witness and his family.