Two childhood friends died after quad bike crashed into minibus while on holiday in Turkey as families pay tribute

Young dads Cory Dove and Matthew Steward, both 26 and from Harwich, Essex, were involved in a head-on collision just before midnight on May 13, 2024, according to a report from Turkish authorities.

An inquest at Chelmsford Coroner’s Court on Monday was told that Mr Dove had been driving the hired quad bike, with Mr Steward as his passenger, when the crash occurred.

Essex’s senior coroner, Lincoln Brookes, said that while the accident happened just before midnight, the official date of death was recorded as the following day once emergency services had attended the scene.

A report from Turkish prosecutors, obtained by Mr Steward’s parents, stated that the bus driver would not face prosecution.

The report concluded that Mr Dove “crashed his ATV (all-terrain vehicle) … while he was driving fast on the winding road”, and that the bus driver had been travelling in his own lane at the time of impact.

The minibus driver, who had been transporting hotel staff, told authorities: “I was easily able to slow down, but the quad bike violated the lane and hit my vehicle from the front left side at speed.”

He said he was driving at 30km/h and that the quad bike crossed into his lane on a bend before colliding with the bus. Both Mr Dove and Mr Steward were thrown from the vehicle.

Mr Dove’s mother, Sarah, described her son as a devoted father of two children, aged eight and one. “Cory went on holiday with his girlfriend and his two boys. He met up with a childhood friend of his. He spent the day with him and in the evening himself and his friend went out … and a bus hit them both.”**

She said her son, a construction worker, “would give his last pound, he loved his family and friends” and had grown up riding motorbikes and quad bikes. He knew how to ride, which makes this so hard to believe he’s gone.”

Mr Steward, who worked in an electrical components factory, was also a father. His family described his passion for metal detecting and Christmas lights, saying: “We were robbed of many fulfilling years. He will be truly missed.”

Mr Dove’s partner told the inquest that the two men had been travelling to a shop at the time of the crash and had made the journey “multiple times” that day.

Post-mortem examinations conducted in the UK found that both men died from multiple traumatic injuries. Toxicology results showed that neither had alcohol levels above the UK legal drink-drive limit.

Recording a verdict of road traffic collision, Coroner Lincoln Brookes noted that while Turkish authorities had conducted an investigation, there was no detailed forensic collision report assessing possible mechanical defects. He expressed his condolences to the families, saying: The pain shared I cannot begin to imagine, to be honest.”

Fundraising appeals were then launched by their relatives to help with funeral costs.