Shock and grief engulf friends of accident victims

Dubai: Friends of the two young people killed when their car was engulfed in flames after a crash have told of their shock at their deaths.

Housemates of one of the victims identified the couple as Stuart Vowles, a British engineer, and his friend Kimberly Stolls from Zimbabwe.

The two, both in their early 20s, burnt to death when their Peugeot 206 caught fire after it was struck by another vehicle on Al Wasl Road in Dubai on Friday afternoon.

Greg Cargopoulos, 21, from Greece, who shared a house with Stuart in Al Barsha and had known the pair, both former Dubai College pupils, for about 10 years, said they were “absolutely selfless''.

“Both of them were the most harmless two people you could've met. When I heard about it I was devastated,'' he said, adding that Kimberly was “very outgoing''.

Another of Stuart's housemates, Briton Will Chambers, 29, said he had seen Stuart and Kimberly just half an hour before the accident.

“They were really sociable. They worked us up most of the time. Stuart was very sporty and loved the outdoor life,'' he said.

Friends said Stuart was working as an engineer in a construction company, while Kimberly, who lived in Umm Suqueim close to the accident scene, had recently graduated from university in Australia.

Another of Stuart's housemates, 41-year-old Briton Andy Cooper, described him as “really fun''. “He was full of ambition and life,'' he said.

On Saturday evening about 20 bouquets of flowers were lying at the accident scene near Spinneys supermarket.

The turning that Stuart and Kimberly's car had been negotiating shortly before it was involved in the crash was blocked off by officials on Saturday.

The road still bore witness to the tragic events, with dark marks on the tarmac where the Peugeot exploded in flames after it was hit by an Audi driven by an Emirati woman, who suffered minor injuries.

Mohammad Nissar, 50, from Pakistan, a watchman who works in a villa few yards from the accident scene, said he tried in vain to rescue the two victims.

“Someone rang the bell [of the villa] and when I came out I saw the fire. I saw the girl she was inside. I tried three times to pull her out, but everything was burning so I couldn't.''

Another witness, driver Mohammad Siddiqi, 40, from Kerala in India said: “I brought water because the car was burning. I was trying to put the fire out, but in just five minutes everything was finished.''

Stuart Vowls was a good man and a great friend. His death has affected many people and serves as a reminder to people to please take care when driving so that other people won't ever have to suffer the same fate.
From Anonymous
Dubai
UAE

My condolences to the families of the victims. Please slow near U-turns even if it is your way to avoid such sad casualties. Each person driving has someone waiting back home.
From Indira
Dubai
UAE

Will EVERYBODY please drive safely! The number of accidents and deaths on the roads is shocking.
From RD
Dubai
UAE

There is a saying -"start early, drive slowly and reach safely. Deep condolences to the victims' families.
From Ameet
Darjeeling
India

My heart-felt condolences to the bereaved families. Concerned authorities must take stringent steps to avoid such accidents. Everyone is well aware of the radars in place everywhere. We need to have more, but mostly hidden cameras to curtail accidents.
Nagarajan
Dubai,UAE

Condolences to the families of both who lost their lives. I lost my dear father in a terrible car accident four months back due to someone else's mistake. My serious advice to people out there is to be very very careful when on the road especially watch others, as one day you could also be the victim of a serious accident.
From Fahad
Abu Dhabi
UAE

I passed by that site on that particular day. My heart-felt condolences to the family of the victims.
Mubarak
Abu Dhabi,UAE

May their souls rest in peace.
Shariq
Kuwait City,Kuwait

My condolences to the family. It's time these reckless drivers learn a lesson. If you don't care about your life, at least give others a chance to live.
Awais
Dubai,UAE

I feel sorry over what happened. Always take an extra care in driving especially when making a U-turn. May both of them rest in peace.
Ash
Dubai,UAE

My condolences to the parents of the victims for their sad loss.
Ahmad
Dubai,UAE

Sad to see two young people lose their life in such a tragic way, sympathy to their families.
Stewart
Auckland,New Zealand

I just went numb after the news. I lost a former colleague of mine under similar circumstances - while taking a U-turn during the Eid holidays. The whole family perished in that accident.
From Mohammed
Sharjah
UAE

May their souls rest in peace and may God protect and preserve all our loved ones on these uncompromising roads.
Samer
Dubai,UAE

Such sad news. My deep condolences to their families. Please drive safely and think about your family.
Laeeq
Karachi,Pakistan

My deep condolences to the family.
Chandresh
Dubai,UAE

I am shocked and saddened.
Lilly
Dubai,Indian

Condolences to the family and friends of the two victims, lets pray for their souls
Nette
dubai,phils

Our heart-felt condolences to both of their families. May their souls rest in peace.
Meera
Dubai,UAE

My prayers and deep condolences.May their souls rest in peace.
Jubie
Al Ain,UAE

My sincere condolences to the families of the victims.
Harry
Dubai,UAE

It's really a shame to see life lost in such a way. Reminds me of the awful tragedy that just happened three months back where one of my friends and his family died in the same way (during Eid holidays). May God have mercy on their souls and help us understand the lessons behind these tragedies. My sincere sympathies goes to the families and friends of both the victims.
JD
Dubai,UAE

My deep condolences to the family.
Saif
Abu Dhabi,UAE

This is very sad and tragic and my condolences go out to both the families.
Omar
Dubai,UAE

That is so sad. If there was a traffic light on that turn, we might still have them with us now. All turns, intersections and U-Turns in the Emirates should have a traffic light to control car flow.
Zain
Dubai,UAE

Just very sad about the accident. Life is precious and we should live for that. It is a great loss for loving parents and friends.
Nalini
Dubai,UAE

This is very very sad.
Ahmed
Dubai,UAE

My prayers and deep condolences to the families of the victims. I was so shocked and sad when I read the report.
CG
Dubai,UAE