A New Year’s Day hangout turned tragic when a drunk youth got behind the wheel, causing a crash that killed his friend and left another injured.
The 20-year-old motorist is on trial at the High Criminal Court for allegedly driving under the influence, speeding, causing property damage, injuring a passenger and causing the death of a young woman.
The victim, also aged 20, was in her last year of university in the UK and was sitting in the back seat when the crash happened at about 5.30am.
The court heard that the three friends had spent time together on the beach in the early hours of January 1, drinking to celebrate the advent of the new year.
They were on their way to Riffa from Manama, when the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to merge into the left lane of Shaikh Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah Highway.
He crashed into the barrier and struck two light poles in the sandy area between the lanes. The vehicle then veered into the opposite lane, colliding with another car that happened to be on the road.
The 20-year-old Indian woman was thrown from the vehicle due to the force of the crash, landing on the hard asphalt and dying instantly. Her autopsy stated that the impact fractured her skull and led to severe internal bleeding.
The defendant sustained only minor injuries, while their 20‑year‑old Sri Lankan friend – who had been seated in the passenger seat – was treated at the hospital for his injuries and later discharged.
“I was driving under the influence, with my male friend in the front seat, and my female friend in the back,” the defendant testified.
“I lost control of the car and crashed. I didn’t see her inside the car after the accident and so I stepped out of the vehicle to look for her. I saw her body lying on the road. An ambulance arrived and traffic police also came, and I was arrested.”
The defendant’s vehicle sustained severe damage. The car he struck after veering into the opposite lane suffered only minor damage.
The defendant now faces six charges in court, including exceeding the speed limit by 30 per cent or more, causing property damage, driving recklessly and causing the death of another person as a result of driving under the influence.
His criminal record shows that in 2024, when he was 17, he beat up a boy and was fined BD50 for it.
Meanwhile, the late victim was in her third year of a marketing and management degree at a UK university and was expected to graduate this year.
The hearing has been adjourned to February 1 for defence responses and requests.
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