A 26-year-old Maldivian woman who sustained critical injuries in a violent motorcycle collision on Sosun Magu late Sunday night has succumbed to her injuries at ADK Hospital this evening. The victim's family formally confirmed her passing to the Maldives Police Service after doctors exhausted all emergency medical interventions, marking a tragic end to an incident that has renewed public outrage over reckless driving in the capital.
The crash occurred in the early hours of Sunday when two motorcycles collided head-on, inflicting severe trauma on three people. The deceased woman suffered extensive facial bone fractures along with severe brain trauma that necessitated emergency cranial surgery, while a 22-year-old male passenger from the same vehicle remains hospitalised in critical condition at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
Police investigations and court remand records revealed that the collision was triggered by 21-year-old Maahu Hassan of Th. Dhiyamigili, who operated a motorcycle at high speed and swerved dangerously in a zigzag manner without a valid driver's license. Authorities informed the Criminal Court that Hassan is a repeat traffic offender who had already been intercepted and penalised four separate times this year alone for unlicensed driving.
Following his arrest, the Criminal Court remanded Hassan into police custody for 15 days, with presiding Judge Ibrahim Zihuny denying his appeal for release on medical grounds after Hassan declined legal representation while being reminded of his right to remain silent. The ongoing investigation is probing multiple offenses, with law enforcement compiling evidence for potential criminal prosecution under the Penal Code alongside strict traffic violations.
Under the recently enacted Land Transport Act, causing injury through dangerous or reckless driving carries heavy financial penalties ranging between MVR 100,000 and MVR 500,000. Furthermore, convicted offenders face mandatory license disqualification or a total ban from obtaining a driver's license for a period between five and ten years, alongside mandatory rehabilitation programs before any future driving privileges can be reinstated.