“The safety measures in use were not adequate and the barriers put up are the same as those used to keep people behind them as they wave to the Queen,” an exhibitor who had cars on show at the Paqpaqli ghall-Istrina event told The Malta Independent.
Michel Zarb, a fan of classic cars and also a racing driver who takes part in the Mdina Grand Prix, had two classic cars on show for the event, during which 26 people were injured, five of whom critical, after a Porsche car careened out of control and crashed into spectators.
He said that “when I arrived on site on Sunday at around 7am I said to myself how dangerous those barriers are because they are not protecting the spectators. Little did I know that few hours later a terrible accident was going to happen.”
He added that when he saw that setup he made sure to stay away from it. Mr Zarb said that when the car accident happened “I remember seeing a person flying and a lot of shouting and commotion.” He added that he saw the Porsche driver being taken out and he was not wearing any protective equipment.
Mr Zarb said that the appropriate safety measures were not taken. He added that barriers of that sort are used for an event where people are behind a barrier to wave to the Queen not to watch race cars. “When I participate in a racing game with my cars I make sure I am wearing the safety gear and that the barriers are made out of concrete.”