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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Kieren Williams

Range Rover driver will 'learn his best friend is dead when he wakes up from coma'

The driver of a Range Rover involved in a fatal ‘100mph crash’ will learn his best friend is dead when he awakes from his coma, one of the car's surviving passengers has said.

Rida Al Mousawi, 24, was driving the Range Rover from The Wish Lounge with two passengers when he lost control of the car in the early hours of Monday morning.

Zamarod Arif survived the horror smash - crediting her seat belt with saving her life.

However, she suffered a broken leg and arm - but the 26-year-old is now recovering well at St Mary’s Hospital.

Mum-of-one Yagmur Ozden didn’t survive the crash and reportedly both women had urged the driver to slow down in the moments before the crash.

Driver Rida remains in a coma after he suffered a major head injury when he was thrown from the £120,000 Range Rover after it flipped off the A40, smashed into a parked Tesla and ended up on the tracks at Park Royal station, in West London.

Zamarod Arif survived the crash because she wore a seatbelt she said (Facebook/Zam Arif)

It has been reported he might be woken from his medically induced coma this weekend.

However, speaking to the Mail Online, Zamarod said Rida will only learn his driving led to the death of his best friend when he is brought out of his coma.

The car had been travelling on the A40 in West London at speeds reportedly up to 100mph when the crash happened.

They smashed through a barrier and a Tesla charging station where the car smashed into a parked Tesla and injured another man before they flipped onto the train tracks.

Shocking images captured the aftermath of the smash and showed the ruined remains of the car on the Piccadilly Line.

Mum Yagmur Ozden didn't survive the horrific crash (Yagmur Ozden)

Zamarod added that neither Rida nor Yagmur had been wearing seatbelts, even after she had told them to do so.

Whilst Rida is said to be recovering well after suffering numerous broken bones Yagmur’s 12-year-old daughter posted a heartbreaking tribute to her late mum.

Crash investigators are yet to interview Rida as they piece together CCTV showing the car's journey along the A40.

The three individuals in the car had been at a shisha restaurant called The Wish Lounge before the fatal accident.

The venue is now being investigated by Ealing Council as it became apparent it does not have a licence to sell food, stage events with a DJ or stay open until 3am.

A spokesperson for Ealing Council said: “On site sale and consumption of tobacco is not a regulated activity, and in order for the council to be able to properly regulate and enforce shisha cafes, there needs to be a change in national licensing laws.

“We are working closely with partner agencies to tackle the issues raised around such venues including a recent out of hours partnership operation that saw officers from multiple services inspecting premises, including this one to gather evidence and tackle non-compliance.

The aftermath of the fatal crash that took one life and injured three people (PA)

“The establishment does not have a premises licenses, and therefore is unable to provide regulated entertainment or the sale of alcohol.

“In addition to the ongoing police investigation, there was and remains an ongoing licencing investigation into the venue, as well as a number of venues in the area. Recent inspections by the council and police have taken place.”

Zamarod previously said that the car had swerved to avoid an animal on the road, which led to the crash.

Local residents have raised complaints that the area had long been used for people racing cars and that they suffer through speeding cars and the noise into the early hours of some mornings.

Some added that they had heard racing the night of the crash - however, police have not confirmed whether the Range Rover was involved in any such racing.

One local resident, who did not want to be named, recalled being woken up by the fatal crash.

They said: ‘’I heard a thud that shook me awake. I thought it was just a one off sound.

"Five minutes later the sirens were outside and I heard sirens seven times.

‘’It is just frustrating because cars always race by the shisha lounge.

"We only moved in at the start of July and they are here three times a week illegally, just around the roundabouts and drifting.’’

Simona, 33, who did not want to give her last name said: ‘’On Sunday evening cars were spinning around the roundabout and the brakes were squeaking.

‘’The racing happens near shisha lounges which this area is famous for, and because there are no speed bumps.

‘’This happens all the time. I didn’t hear anything on the night and I don’t know if these cars were involved in the crash but it is very annoying.’

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