The mother of a British honeymooner who died when the quad-bike he was riding on crashed into a tree on Kuredu Island Resort has called for a full investigation into the couple’s death.
Jonathan Gray and his wife Emma Gray, both 25, had been married on July 30 in West Yorkshire. They were killed a week later on August 6 at 4:00am on a Saturday morning.
Jonathan’s mother Cath Davies told the BBC she had been led to understand that the vehicle was unregistered and the driver unlicensed, and called for a full investigation to prevent such a tragedy from reoccurring.
“Somebody, somewhere, is responsible for having allowed that quad to be on the island, and those keys to be available to the young man who was unlicensed and unregistered. I’m sure I’m not mistaken, but he shouldn’t have been there,” she said.
“The lad himself, my heart goes out to him and his family because he has done something reckless and really foolish which has ended in the most tragic way possible, but he never meant for this to happen. I don’t want the responsibility to be solely his.”
The driver of the quad-bike, subsequently identified by police as Swedish national Filip Petre, a guest relations officer and son of one of the resort’s shareholders, remains in hospital in Male’ being treated for injuries he sustained during the accident.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that Petre’s was not under arrest but that his passport had been confiscated pending the outcome of the investigation, as was standard procedure in such serious cases. If Petre’s injuries required him to receive treatment outside the Maldives, “that would be a matter for our legal officers.”
Shiyam said that police had completed examining the scene of the accident and were now working to conclude the investigation as swiftly as possible.
In an emergency motion in parliament last week MDP MP ‘Reeko Moosa Manik alleged that the King Quad 700 was unregistered and Petre unlicensed to operate it.
Opposition MPs claimed that Reeko Moosa’s motion was a “personal attack” against the owner of the resort, Champa ‘Uchoo’ Mohamed Moosa, in retaliation for Champa’s television network DhiTV’s coverage of alcohol bottles found in Reeko’s car last year.
The bodies of the couple were reported to have been flown back to the UK for the funeral. Davies told the BBC that the fact the couple had been married and had enjoyed six happy years together had made the tragedy easier to endure.
“They had that day. It was perfect. Both were fantastically successful in their own lives and have their wonderful little boy. It was so perfect for them. It was almost too perfect,” she said.
The Gray’s six-month old child, Jake, will grow up “much loved by all his family,” Davies told the BBC. “He is a very happy little baby and will grow up into a wonderful man just like his father.”
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"Shiyam said that police had completed examining the scene of the accident and were now working to conclude the investigation as swiftly as possible."
In view of the limited and uncomplicated nature of the scene, and in the absence of any witnesses to the actual crash at 4am, the investigation has to be confined to interviewing the rider. I would be very surprised if any test for his alcohol level was carried out at the hospital. Without that result, simply carrying 2 passengers on a quad bike designed to carry only the rider, affecting stability and control is a crucial factor in assessing liability.
Many casualties occur when the quad bike overturns, this one weighs 270 kilos.
If im not mistaken most of the blame should then be put on maldivian institutions as it is not required to register moter vehicles used solely on the property of the resorts. Nor is it thus required to be a registered user of these unregistered vehicles. Is this not correct? If not it is most probably the usaul practice of most resorts and is far from enforced by maldivian authorities
I have just read with great interest the Department of Transport web pages. They are quite clear on registration of vehicles, and driver licensing. Resort islands do not seem exempt from any regulations. It remains to be seen how the quad bike was imported through Malé and got to Kuredu without apparently going through the system and how it did not officially exist, also if Mr.Petre was licensed to ride it. I also feel sorry for him, what seemed to be a good idea at 4am will have life long consequences for this young man as well.
Whats on her hair?
Such a vehicle shouldn't even be allowed to operate in any resort. But, we know what the rich dudes get up to and get way with.
This dude who was riding the quad bike is important to some important people of the Maldives.
I remember when an Air Taxi seaplane carrying some tourists crashed and a few passengers and crew got killed. The pilot and co-pilot 'fled' the country before the investigations began. It's not like you can get into a car and cross a border.
"I also feel sorry for him, what seemed to be a good idea at 4am will have life long consequences for this young man as well."
I don't feel particularly sorry for him. There are visitors to this island who have noted his behaviour prior to this tragic accident. We can almost say that this was a tragedy waiting to happen, and one that could and should have been avoided.
I don't have much faith in the Maldivian Police force and I'd be surprised if they carried out a fair and proper investigation into this. After all, this is a Police force that cannot control murder in broad daylight, (with the perpetrators disappearing infront of their eyes) on an island not more than 2 square miles!
The UK Foreign Office should press the Maldivian government hard on this matter; so this kind of tragedy never happens again.
We all should understand that short buri champa would have bribed the customs to import the quad bike, which is the fact. The family of the victims should sue the resort.
Postance, You have to find out if resorts are included in public area. That is the crux of the issue and not if resorts were excluded.
What has to be registered in the Transport Ministry is of vehicles being used on the public roads. I do not think resorts are included in public roads.
Resorts are private properties and it is the same as the airside at any airport or just someone's private property.
Now the resort is liable for the deaths as they operated this piece of equipment in an unsafe way and manslaughter should be the outcome.
@manik, unfortunately the download of registration and licensing forms on the Transport Authority pages is only in Dhivehi, so I cannot establish how they apply to resort islands. Import of motor vehicles through customs is another matter however! I believe you are correct on the subject of liability by the resort, which is private property.
@ Ahmed Bin Addu Bin Suvadheeb, "I don’t feel particularly sorry for him. There are visitors to this island who have noted his behaviour prior to this tragic accident."
Of course, I was not there and have no knowledge of that, but it is unlikely that Mr Petre forced the two guests to ride on the quad bike against their will.
It is really said. Me and my wife got married on 5 august on kuredu. the next morning we went on the robinson excursion. we walked past the. accident site. it was really said to see everything. it happend just 30 mtr away from our watervilla. i feel really sorry for the family and friends. i wish you the best.
"Retired on Sun, 14th Aug 2011 7:16 PM
Whats on her hair"
^ to Retired, two people are dead, their son orphaned, and all you can say is ' whats on her hair'?? You disgust me.
I am Sorry to say this but the best comment and argument which happen here is about jonathan Gray's Mom hair clip..or what ever it is!!! i could not stop laughing at first when i say the comment from "Retired on Sun" then i saw someone else freaking out on "Retired on Sun"...
Thank you for both comments...you both have made me smile!!!
However, i am extreamly sad for all involve in the case...i fell very sad to Philip as he try to help or be nice to couple and drove them home from bar unfortunately it ended in a tragedy!!!
I have my own friends which had same kind of accident and i have on my own experience these kind of situation...i was just lucky!!!
......