Bus driver has licence suspended and fined for running over pedestrian

A bus driver who ran over a pedestrian when he ignored a red light in 2009 has been banned from the roads for a year and fined €3,000.

A court held Carmel Cassar, 55, responsible for the incident, that left a young woman's face permanently scarred.

The woman had been crossing Constitution Street in Mosta on 13 December 2009, using a pelican crossing near Casa Arkati, when Cassar’s bus barrelled into her.

The driver was charged with negligent driving, failing to stop at the traffic lights, and failing to keep a proper lookout on the road. As part of proceedings, Magistrate Doreen Clarke had been shown CCTV footage of the incident.

The magistrate held that the victim's only mistake had been her failure to look out for oncoming traffic before stepping out on to the pedestrian crossing. However, she pointed out that the pedestrian had the right to cross and the motorist who had the obligation to stop at the red light.

The woman, who now bears a permanent facial scar, was also medically certified as suffering from lack of sensation on that side of her face as a result of the accident.

The court imposed a fine of €3,000 on Cassar and suspended his driving licence for a year.