Boy racer whose driving led to teen’s death named
THE teenage boy racer who caused the death of Olivia Alkir can today be named as he turns 18.
Edward Ryan Bell was the driver of the red Ford Fiesta in which Olivia was a passenger when he crashed head-on into an oncoming car while racing his friend, Thomas Henry Quick.
Both boys were 17 at the time of the incident, which happened on the B5105 between Clawddnewydd and Ruthin on June 27 last year.
Bell had only passed his driving test the day before and was “making the most of his freedom” before a black box was due to be fitted to his vehicle to restrict its speed the next day.
Dashcam footage filmed in the hours before the horror smash, which killed 17-year-old Olivia instantly and left four others with life-changing injuries, shows Bell and Quick “using the roads as a racetrack” as they “played Russian roulette with the lives of their passengers”.
Quick turned 18 before the pair were jailed for five years for causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving at Mold Crown Court last month, but Bell couldn’t be named throughout the court process because of his age.
But the legal restrictions no longer apply as he reached the age of 18 yesterday, meaning the Western Mail can now identify him.
Olivia was described by her family as “a loving, vibrant, beautiful young woman with her whole life ahead of her”.
They said: “She was smart, ambitious, passionate and full of fun. She never failed to show care and compassion to all those she knew, and had a positive attitude and joy for life that brought so much happiness to her friends and family who loved her.”
Speaking after Bell and Quick were sentenced, Olivia’s heartbroken parents Joanna and Mesut released a statement paying tribute to their beloved daughter.
It said: “Olivia’s death and the lifechanging injuries inflicted on the other victims were a tragedy that should never have happened. “This was not a random accident. “This was a calamity caused by the reckless and criminal actions of two young men who played Russian roulette with the lives of their passengers and other road users,which resulted in taking a life and causing severe injuries to four other innocent people.”
The statement added: “No thrill is worth this amount of pain. Therefore this needs to be a lesson for all of us as a community, for all parents, guardians and relatives of young drivers to educate them about the consequences of dangerous driving.
“And to properly understand the responsibility they have for innocent lives when driving.
“The best gift that anyone could give us would be to make sure that this never happens again.
“Let that be Olivia’s legacy.”