Two Maltese couples die in Croatia after vehicle falls off highway into the sea

Four Maltese people died while on holiday in Croatia after their vehicle veered off the road and plunged into the Adriatic Sea.

The victims have been named as Jeremy Gambin, 68, and his wife Lorraine Gambin, 67, who llived in Swieqi; and Kevin Bonnici, 67, and his wife Sandra Bonnici, 66. They were travelling together in the same car when the accident happened on Thursday at around 4:20pm.

Reports from Croatia suggest the driver may have become ill while driving on the coastal D8 state road. 

Jeremy Gambin was a basketball coach at Luxol and a PE Teacher at St Michael’s Foundation. Kevin Bonnici worked in the cab business.

Croatian news outlets said that the vehicle was driving from Rijeka towards Senj when the driver lost control of the vehicle at a turn. The car, a Range Rover, then crashed into two guardrails before plunging 70 metres into the sea.

The victims were declared dead at the scene. Their bodies were recovered and autopsies are underway. 

According to news outlet IndexHR, a witness stated that a police officer at the scene jumped into the sea from a great height and tried to save the people in the car.

Croatian authorities said that investigations into what caused the accident are underway.