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Sun, Nov 17, 2024 | Jumada al-Awwal 16, 1446 | DXB
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Canadian boxer among 4 dead in Dubai Ferrari crash
The Ferrari splits into two after hitting a pole in Jumeirah Lake Towers on Sunday afternoon.
Dubai The incident took place on Al Sarayat Road, when the driver lost control of the vehicle, killing all four passengers.
Update: Boston Marathon bombing survivor killed in Dubai car crash
A college student who survived serious injuries in the Boston Marathon bombing was killed in a car accident in Dubai over the weekend, a spokesman for Northeastern University said Monday.
Victoria McGrath was killed Sunday, along with another Northeastern student, Priscilla Perez Torres, the Boston school confirmed according to an Associated Press report.
McGrath and Torres were on a personal trip and not studying abroad.
The identities of the women in the Ferrari crash have yet to be confirmed, but they are thought to be McGrath and Torres.
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McGrath, 23, received severe shrapnel injuries to her left leg from the first of two bombs placed near the marathon finish line on April 15, 2013.
Speeding claimed four more lives on the roads of Dubai on Sunday afternoon.
Three men and a woman met a tragic end as their rented Ferrari split into two and burst into flames after crashing into an electricity pole at the Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT).
The Toronto Sun has identified Canadian boxer Cody Nixon as one of the victims of the Ferrari crash in Dubai. His last instagram post is a picture of him with the rented Ferrari and the message "Don't worry, I won't speed".
Giving details of the accident, the Director of the General Department of Traffic of Dubai Police said the incident took place at 12.40pm on Al Sarayat Road, when the driver lost control of the vehicle, killing all four passengers, including two Americans and a Canadian. The identity of the fourth victim could not be ascertained.
Col. Saif Muhair Al Mazroui said: "Three men and a women were inside the car, despite the fact that the car is designed for only two people."
He added: "Due to the impact, three people, two men and a woman, were thrown out of the car. Three died on the spot from their serious injuries, while a fourth died at the hospital." Col. Al Mazroui said that the vehicle was speeding on the 60km/hour road. As the car was rented, he said the Dubai Police were coordinating with the rental car office to determine how fast the car was being driven using its tracking device, and that police will also conduct blood tests.
According to the preliminary investigation, the passengers of the car were violating safety regulations by being in a car meant for two passengers, and by not strapping on their seat belts.
The victims, Major General Al Mazroui added, appeared to have been in Dubai on a visit visa, and rented the car for Dh4,000.
He said many motorists believed that luxury super cars could protect them from accidents.
Whatever the car, driving at speeds exceeding 80km per hour can lead to dangerous accidents.
Separately, last Thursday, a fatal crash between two cars on Shaikh Zayed Road in the Sieh Shoiab area claimed the life a driver who died on the spot. The other driver was seriously injured in the accident.
Al Mazroui said the Dubai Traffic Department had organised a number of traffic campaigns to reduce accidents and catch pedestrians who cross roads in non-designated area.
Most of the accidents, he noted, were taking place on roads with speed limits of more than 80km per hour.
A study released this week by RoadSafetyUAE and Qatar Insurance Company found that 56 per cent of UAE residents believed that driving was now more dangerous than six months ago.
Of the over 1,000 respondents, 67 per cent said they had noticed more speeding vehicles on the roads in the last 6 months, with 19 per cent saying they had personally been involved in traffic accidents. - amira@khaleejtimes.com
Super car accidents
The incident is not the first time a "super car" has been involved in a fatal accident. In June 2013, a 20-year old man visiting his family in Dubai was killed when his Ferrari hit a palm tree in Motor City.
In a second incident, a pedestrian was hit in a traffic accident which took place at 8:30 AM in the Al Hibab area on the Dubai-Al Ain Road. According to police, the pedestrian was moving among cars at a U-turn and was seriously injured after being struck by a car while walking in the left lane. The unidentified pedestrian was picked up by an ambulance and taken to a hospital to be treated.
Ferrari in UAE
Although the total number of Ferraris and other supercars in the UAE is unknown, it is believed to be substantial.
The Ferrari Owners Club of the UAE (FOCUAE) alone has approximately 170 members, who gather to operate their cars in safe and controlled environments such as the Dubai Autodrome or Yas Marina Circuit.
Rental Ferraris are easily obtainable in Dubai, with multiple companies having Ferraris on offer to rent for the day.
Prices to rent a Ferrari vary. One local rent-a-car agency, for example, rents Ferrari 458 Italia's for Dh3,500 a day, while a convertible Ferrari 458 Spider Convertible can be had for Dh4,000 a day. Ferrari 458s typically have top speeds of 340 km/hour.
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