Family lay cake at vigil to woman murdered on her birthday
The family of Pelin Kaya laid her birthday cake at the site of her death and tearfully sang Happy Birthday for the young woman who was fatally struck in a traffic collision while walking home from her own birthday party.
Pelin, an interior designer, was walking in front of Paul & Rocco petrol station in Gżira at 1am when she was struck and killed by a black BMW. The car then crashed through the glass frontage of the KFC restaurant next door.
Video has since emerged of the BMW heading directly towards her, prompting police to charge its driver, Jeremie Camilleri, with murder.
The incident took place an hour into her 30th birthday. She is the second victim of a road accident this year.
A large group of mourners gathered to support Pelin's family outside of KFC, with her uncle Aykan Ceylan and her weeping sister Derya Kaya at the forefront, wearing pictures of Pelin pinned to their lapels.
At least 100 people turned up to lay flowers and placards that read 'we trust Maltese community and justice' and 'its not an accident, it is murder'.
Pelin's friends also brought her birthday cake to the vigil with one slice missing, the slice that had been served at Pelin's own birthday...