Safari Accident

A British man and his eight-year-old daughter have died in a crash in Turkey after the driver of their open-topped 4x4 vehicle lost control when water was reportedly squirted into his eyes.

Jonathan Pearce, 38, and his daughter Charley, from the West Midlands, were among a family group travelling in one of four vehicles on safari when it crashed into a tractor on Monday.

The holidaymakers were enjoying a water pistol fight between the vehicles but the crash happened when another passing tourist joined in, according to others travelling in the convoy.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that the driver of the 4x4 had been detained. Police at the nearby station of Ortaca confirmed they were looking for a German motorbike tourist who had allegedly thrown water at the vehicle.

A witness said the driver was temporarily blinded after he was squirted with water.

Mr Pearce was taken to the Yucelen hospital, an hour away, in Mugla, where he died of his injuries. His daughter died at the scene, according to witnesses.

His eight-year-old nephew, Joseph, who was also in the vehicle at the time, was said to be in a critical but stable condition after the crash.

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Demetrius Danas from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: "We have far too many instances of holidaymakers suffering serious injuries and death as a result of poor safety precautions on these jeep safaris. If holidaymakers nevertheless want to try the jeep safari experience, we advise them to book it with a reputable UK tour operator as part of their holiday package arrangements before going abroad."

If you or a loved one has suffered an accident or illness abroad as the result of a road traffic accident while on holiday, we could help you to claim the compensation you deserve. See our Road Traffic Accident Abroad Claims page for more information.