The Canadian man behind the wheel of the Ferrari 458 Spider when it crashed was a capable driver, the company that rented the supercar to him said on Tuesday.
Golden Gate Rent A Car said that James Portuondo ordered the car to be delivered to the Bonnington Hotel in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, where he and his cousin, Cody Nixon were staying.
“It was James who signed the contract and rented the car,” said a source at the company. “He had requested that Cody be a second driver but we refused because he’s under the age of 25.” The source said three employees were sent to the hotel to ensure the handover went smoothly and that Portuondo was, in fact, able to drive a supercar.
“The Ferrari 458 Spider is not like a normal vehicle, it’s different from A to Z, and we need to make sure that the driver knows how to handle it and how to drive it,” he said. “James knew what he was doing and had obviously been familiar with the vehicle.”
The rental company source said that Portuondo was briefed on Dubai’s rules and regulations and that it was stressed to him that the UAE has a zero-tolerance policy for driving under the influence of alcohol.
A forensics report revealed that all four occupants had been drinking that night.
It is unclear whether the car’s insurance company will cover costs, as regulations in Dubai state that companies do not need to cover incidents caused by drink-driving.
However, the source said: “We hope that the insurance company does cover costs, and we hope that the law protects us, because we had done everything right and legally, and we warned the client against drinking while driving and against speed.
“At the end of the day, we are not upset about the car, we are upset about the people who lost their lives.”
He went on to describe the scene of the incident as “horrendous and awful”.
The company notified Portuondo’s parents of his death, saying: “James gave us a number to contact in case anything happens, and so we called the family to tell them the news.”
The source said that the family was understandably distraught. However, he denied reports that the company had requested the family to come to pick up their son’s passport.
“We called them with all sympathy and respect, and we are truly sorry for their loss, but we don’t even have the passport,” he said.
“My advice to anyone who wants to rent such cars is please be careful, and do not drive recklessly. These cars are more for show than speeding on public streets.”
A Bonnington Hotel spokeswoman said they had no information and would not comment.
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