Four people involved in a pony racing accident that killed a man in 2013 have been cleared of involuntary homicide charges. None of the four – the man racing the pony, the race organiser or two officials who rented out the premises – could be blamed for the incident that left Michael Zammit brain dead and a child injured, a court ruled. Rather, it was Zammit and the child who had put themselves in danger by sitting or standing in an area where they ought not to have been, a magistrate concluded. The case dates back to May 2013, when a horse and pony racing event held at the Ħal Far drag racing track ended in tragedy. Sandro Cutajar was racing a pony against another competitor when Cutajar’s pony veered to the side and crashed into plastic barriers. The impact split the sulky and threw Cutajar off the animal, which continued running and smashed into two spectators - Zammit and an 11-year-old child. The girl suffered grievous injuries but recovered following surgery. The rider, Cutajar, was not seriously hurt. Zammit was critically injured and never regained consciousness. He was eventually declared brain dead, with doctors attributing his death to a fractured skull and necrosis...
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