A teenage dancer died after an airbag allegedly struck her in the face as she reached beneath a car seat for her phone.
Kelly Caruana, 18, was a passenger in a Renault Clio when its 20-year-old driver lost control and crashed into a barrier.
She was rushed to hospital with serious injuries but her condition continued to deteriorate.
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Kelly died nine days after the crash, as reported by Need To Know.
Information obtained by Malta’s national broadcaster TVMnews indicated that she had bent down to retrieve her mobile phone from beneath the seat when the collision happened.
The broadcaster reported that it was the force of the airbag deploying into her face, rather than the impact with the barrier, that caused her serious injuries.
Kelly, from Paola, Malta, was a dancer with Lookstar Dancers Tarxien and had also taken part in the country’s famous Carnival celebrations.
She was laid to rest on Saturday (5 Sep) as devastated relatives and friends gathered for her final farewell.
Her family asked mourners to avoid dark colours and instead wear white shirts or T-shirts with blue jeans.
They also requested that only white flowers be sent.
Meagan Caruana wrote in a public post: “We emphasise this because Kelly was pure, gentle and beautiful, just like an angel.
“We imagine Heaven as a place filled with light and white, and we want her final farewell to reflect that purity and the beautiful soul she was.
“Let us surround her with white, light and love, as we say goodbye to our precious princess.
“Fly high, Kelly.
“You will forever be loved, forever missed, and forever our little princess.”
Her childhood friend Maya X Shay said she was struggling to accept that she had said goodbye to Kelly for the final time.
She wrote: “I wish I could have one more conversation with you, one more laugh, one more moment.
“Today I had to say goodbye, but I know I’ll never forget you.
“Thank you for being a part of my life and for leaving me with memories that I’ll treasure forever.”
Għaqda Kultura u Armar Marija Annunzjata Tarxien, a local cultural organisation, also offered condolences to Kelly’s family.
It remembered her as a dancer from an early age with Lookstar Dancers and other Carnival dance companies.
The crash happened at approximately 8.15pm on 21 August in Triq tal-Bajjada, Qormi.
Police said the driver, a man from Birkirkara, suffered grievous injuries after losing control of the car.
Both occupants received medical assistance at the scene before being taken to Mater Dei Hospital by ambulance.
Kelly was confirmed dead late on 29 August.
Police have not publicly confirmed the account involving Kelly’s phone and the airbag, and no final post-mortem cause of death has been released.
Magistrate Joe Mifsud has opened an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the collision, while police investigations remain ongoing.
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