Two arrested in Hulhumale’ car crash jailed pending trial’s end

Two of people arrested in connection to a dangerous accident which took place in Hulhumale’ on Wednesday have been jailed pending the outcome of their trial, while the third was been jailed for 15 days.

The accident, which took place outside the Vinares apartments in Hulhumale’ Phase II on Wednesday afternoon, involved a speeding car which veered out of control and crashed into a 27-year-old man on a motorcycle on the side of the road.

The three people in the car, who had fled after the crash, were arrested on Wednesday night. They are:

• Ibrahim Ikram, 33 (M. Land of Garden, K.Male')
• Ikram-ul Rahman, 25 (H. Nooranmaage, K. Male')
• Jinah Ismail (Aazadhuge, GA. Kanduhulhudhoo)

Ikram Ibrahim, who had been driving the car, and Ikram-ul Rahman, were brought before the Criminal Court for their remand hearing on Thursday morning.

Judge Adam Mohamed ordered for them to be held in a custodial jail pending the outcome of their trial.

Pleas for leniency

At the hearing, Ibrahim Ikram told the judge that he hurt his chest in the accident, and that he therefore left the scene after waiting for a long time.

However, the judge rejected the claim he waited for a long time, based on the police’s account that approximately 10 minutes passed between the time of the accident and when the victim was put on an ambulance.

Ibrahim Ikram plead for leniency in his detention citing that he was the father of two.

However, the police asked for him to be held in jail based on his actions in relation to the accident, including the fact that he fled the scene.

The police also argued that the overall horrific nature of the accident created fear among the general public.

Ikram-ul Rahman also pled for leniency in his detention. He said that he was the father of one, and was currently living a respectable life. He also said that he had not been the one driving, but had been in the backseat of the car.

Ikram-ul Rahman claimed he left the scene after informing a police officer. However, the police told the court that he would not have been permitted to leave if he had identified himself as someone involved in the accident. Additionally, none of the police officers who responded to the accident said he had informed them he was leaving, and the CCTV footage of the scene did not capture any interactions between him and a police officer.

Unlike Ibrahim Ikram and Ikram-ul Rahman who were taken to the Criminal Court, Jinah was brought before the Hulhumale’ Court.

The court ordered for him to be remanded in custody of the police for 15 days.

Horrific accident

CCTV footage of the accident shows the car had veered out of control as it made a hard turn into the road. It hit the grassy road divider and then rammed into the idle motorcyclist who had stopped on the side of the road to pick up his phone.

The force of the impact sent him flying in the air. The video also showed that the motorcyclist hit his head on top of the car before being thrown to the ground.

The car had also taken down a tree on the side of the road before veering to a stop on the pavement.

The victim, a 27-year-old local male, was initially treated at the Hulhumale’ Hospital before getting transferred to the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’ City.

His family reported that he sustained facial fractures, but that his condition was stable. The documents shared at Thursday’s hearing revealed he also fractured his backbone.

He had stopped to pick up a call from his mother.

The Maldivian capital has seen an increase in road accidents in recent months. The most common cause is speeding.