Jailed prince: I’m a victim: Saudi royal who caused fatal crash speaks out

Boston Herald ^ | June 25, 2006 | Laura Crimaldi

[billorites]

Prince Bader Al Saud once lived a life most people lead only in their dreams.

A place in the Saudi royal family. A government-funded education at American universities and schools. Money for expenses, books and even a luxury SUV handed to him by his family and the Saudi Arabian government. A home in a luxury apartment building in Cambridge.

But then, in the early morning hours of Oct. 29, 2002, Al Saud got behind the wheel of his leased BMW X5 after drinking a few Johnnie Walker “Black Labels” and saw his life turn into a nightmare anyone would dread.

“It was a matter of seconds; it was not avoidable,” Al Saud said in a recent deposition leading up to a $345,000 settlement reached earlier this month with the survivors of Orlando Ramos, 37, who was fatally struck by the prince’s SUV as he tried to cross South Charles Street near the Common in downtown Boston. “I was shocked. I didn’t know what to do.”

Al Saud, 24, has never publicly apologized to the family of Ramos, a Cambridge father, who died at Massachusetts General Hospital shortly after the 2:40 a.m. accident.

The deposition, which Al Saud gave at the cozy Dukes County House of Correction in March, offers the first public explanation for the ommission.

“The way how I see this is still two victims,” said Al Saud in the deposition on file at Middlesex Superior Court. “He jumped on my car. . . .(H)e’s dead, but I’m paying for it now; I’m in jail. . . . I’m paying for his death.”

At the time of his sentencing last November, Ramos’ survivors complained Al Saud’s punishment of one year in a Martha’s Vineyard jail was hardly fit for the crime of motor vehicle homicide while under the influence.

But in the deposition the prince said the jail is not as nice as it has been described.

“The only thing about this jail, there’s not a lot of people,” said Al Saud, who described a typical day as consisting of reading, watching television, going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and playing cards with his fellow inmates.

Al Saud also said his title of prince does not mean he will ever rule Saudi Arabia or even become a central figure in his native country.

“There’s like 3,000 people ahead of me. And 3,000 behind me. . . . That will never ever happen, not even in this life, not even in 200 years. So it’s just the idea of ‘prince,’ ” Al Saud said. “If I go to Saudi, no one knows me, no one recognizes me because they don’t see my picture in the streets. . . .A lot of people watched the movie ‘Going to America’ where he’s a prince and he came from another country and he even had his picture on their money. That don’t work with me. I’m not this guy. . . . I am just the victim for all that.”

[rwilson99]

He must be thinking in jail...

I should have told the cops I was a Kennedy.

[PistolPaknMama]

reading, watching television, going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and playing cards with his fellow inmates.

Cruel and unusual punishment. Don't know how the poor guy copes. /s

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Maybe one of the three thousand 'behinds' will want to move up just one in the sequence. Jizz-hard! All uh axe-bar.

[Nothometoday]

A photo of the jail...how horrid!

http://www.dukescounty.org/Pages/DukesCountyMA_Sheriff/jail

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

But then, in the early morning hours of Oct. 29, 2002, Al Saud got behind the wheel of his leased BMW X5 after drinking a few Johnnie Walker “Black Labels”

...being the good Muslim that he is!

[Dark Skies]

The MO in islam is "never accept responsibility" (i.e. never grow up). No wonder they live in a shame-based world.

[Talking_Mouse]

I don't think the entitlement attitude is because he's a Saudi Prince, it's because he's an elitist. The same kind of "two victims" garbage can be heard from many of the rich kids (and adults) in most minimum security jails and prisons.

[Kakaze]

1 year for vehicular homicide.........1 year.

[Beckwith]

This guy's cousin killed my best friend in 1993.

An unlicensed student at Boston University, he crossed the median on Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA., and drove his brand new Mercedes roadster head-on into my buddy's pickup, killing him and the other occupant instantly. The Saudi was uninjured because all the air bags deployed.

The police couldn't arrest him at the scene because he had diplomatic immunity. He flew back to Saudi two days later to avoid a civil suit.

[samtheman]

Typical media cross-word-puzzle-style story. Have to read it a couple of times to try to figure out what happened. What does it mean "jumped on my car"? Does the writer know? Care? Too busy picking his nose to have a comment on that?

Why not start with the facts at the start of the story, instead of the fluff? It would have made it much more readable.

Any decent journalism teacher would have given this story and F.

[dhuffman@awod.com]

And there are no accidents with a round chambered or a key in the ignition but negligents[sic] only.

[sure_fine]

I am just the victim for all that.”





I thought the victim died

[ZinGirl]

that's a jail? geez-louise.

Let's update their demographics:

This next chart illustrates the category and the number of charges of the 1,261 admissions:

Category Number of charges

Alcohol (511)

Property (119)

Violent (137)

Drug (159)

Other (335)

Whining about being a Prince from another country where he's 3,000th in line and they don't even put his picture on their currency (1)

[ThreePuttinDude]

The MO in islam & Lib/Dems is "never accept responsibility" (i.e. never grow up).

There, that looks better

[dhuffman@awod.com]

Picking his nose while hanging around the flax-machine waiting for a story to break wind or a PiSSA (public information self-serving announcement) to arrive. Journalism by press release, the MO of the MSM, dead men walking.

[knarf]

I think it's more of a life attitude. Islamists just seem to consider God's miricle of life a chess game or something.
Look how he compartmentalized his act .. (I didn't get drunk ... but) This guy walked in front of MY car (while I was minding my own business .. ) and he de-facto committed suicide. Why am I in here?

There's no reasoning with people that cannot add one-plus-one and come up with two ... it's always whatever answer they want it to be,

HOW did this mentality get as far as it did?

[elli1]

Does 'the prince' get deported after his jail term has been served?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Prince Bader Al Saud once lived a life most people lead only in their dreams.

A place in the Saudi royal family.

The only time I might dream of "a place in the Saudi royal family" is after eating a bad lobster. Yeah, sure, I'd love to have their dough, but being one of them carries way too much baggage.

[csvset]

1 year for vehicular homicide.........1 year.

It happens here in Norfolk, VA. too. The driver wasn't a prince, rather a 18 yr old girl who ran down a 67 year old man out for a walk.

Young driver will serve 1 year for involuntary manslaughter

[OpusatFR]

"Al Saud got behind the wheel of his leased BMW X5 after drinking a few Johnnie Walker “Black Labels” and saw his life turn into a nightmare anyone would dread."

He's Irish?

Oh, I get it. When a devout Muzzie comes to the land of the Infidel, he can act like a pig...right?

[Recon Dad]

“The way how I see this is still two victims,” said Al Saud in the deposition on file at Middlesex Superior Court. “He jumped on my car. . . .(H)e’s dead, but I’m paying for it now; I’m in jail. . . . I’m paying for his death.”

I am stunned and my mind is numb. "He jumped on my car", someone, please at his jail, if you're reading this go into his cell and pummel this putrid ninny.

[LRS]

“There’s like 3,000 people ahead of me. And 3,000 behind me. . . ."

Man, ain't life a bitch? Someone break out some more Johnnie Walker for him to drown his sorrows in...

[Dark Skies]

HOW did this mentality get as far as it did?

Good question! It got far only if "far" is defined as the passage of time (and then only by hiding out in primitive societies).

Fundamental islam and muslims fit the perfect description of "human evil" as defined by Scott Peck in People of the Lie(1983). Islam institutionalizes deceit and delusion and calls it good.

[BunnySlippers]

A lot of people watched the movie ‘Going to America’ where he’s a prince and he came from another country and he even had his picture on their money. That don’t work with me. I’m not this guy. . . . I am just the victim for all that.”

AND, the family settles for only $345,000!

[elli1]

A government-funded education at American universities and schools. Money for expenses, books and even a luxury SUV handed to him by his family and the Saudi Arabian government. A home in a luxury apartment building in Cambridge.

I'm guessing that the $345,000 settlement is just about equal to one year's allowance for 'the prince'.

[ncountylee]

No, his allowance is $500,000/year.

[elli1]

Last week's arrival of a Saudi prince as an inmate at the Edgartown House of Correction is part of a continuing practice in which the Vineyard facility has housed prisoners from off-Island. Attorneys for Prince Bader al-Saud, 23, who was charged with motor vehicle homicide while drunk, .... More rare is a request that comes through the state legal system, such as the recent al-Saud plea agreement... The sheriff said he is familiar with the characterizations of the Vineyard jail, where inmates take life skills and cooking courses, as a relatively posh facility. " ‘It's cushy, it's like an inn,' " the sheriff quipped... Mr. McCormack [sheriff] said federal immigration officials have filed a detainer on the Saudi prince, meaning he will be released into their custody when he completes his sentence at the Vineyard jail.

Source

This jail?

Suffolk County House of Corrections

Or this jail?

Dukes County House of Corrections

[elli1]

My guess-o-meter needs adjusting.

[nuconvert]

"The deposition, which Al Saud gave at the cozy Dukes County House of Correction in March, offers the first public explanation for the ommission. "

Yeah? And what did it say??

Laura Crimaldi should look for another job.

Sheesh

[khnyny]

"People of the Lie" was a great book. I love Peck's stuff. I always recommend "The Road Less Traveled" to everyone.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

.(H)e’s dead, but I’m paying for it now; I’m in jail. . . . I’m paying for his death.”


A commoner in his country would be treated much much worse. Suck it up prince.

[wildwood]

“He jumped on my car. . . .

i thought johnnie walker jumped on his car.

[jimboster]

I'm not sure I understand. If the guy jumped on his car, why is the prince in jail?

[Doohickey]

You just described liberalism as well. Hm.

[khnyny]

Everyone needs to read this story. The perp is an Egyptian National (19) and purposely ran over people this month on Long Island. This story is NOT getting out into the mainstream media. Why? The family lives in a multi-million dollar home in Vienna, VA. Diplomatic immunity, perhaps? He yelled "I'll Kill You All" right before the incident.

'I'LL KILL YOU ALL' [Sayed Khaled El-Waraky]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1652350/posts

[Roamin53]

Looks like a Martha's Vineyard Bed and Breakfast to me.

[CPOSharky]

Oh, I get it. When a devout Muzzie comes to the land of the Infidel, he can act like a pig...right?

Right. It's been said, by muzzies, that Allah can't see in certain areas so they can do what they want. Must be Allah can't see in any country where alcohol is legal.

[Panzerfaust]

1 year for vehicular homicide.........1 year.

This one resulted in olny a traffic court hearing:

[LibWhacker]

Killing infidels is a badge of honor for these guys and his position in line for the throne will improve. They're a danger to us all; any one of us could be crossing the street tomorrow with our family and be mowed down by one of these muslim killers. Even our own government will only give them a year in a country club for doing it. wtf.

[Arkinsaw]

If Joe goes to Saudi Arabia....gets drunk....rams a Saudi....he stands a pretty good chance of getting beheaded in the public square....not spending a year playing cards.

[apillar]

“There’s like 3,000 people ahead of me. And 3,000 behind me. . . . That will never ever happen, not even in this life, not even in 200 years. So it’s just the idea of ‘prince,’ ” Al Saud said. “If I go to Saudi, no one knows me, no one recognizes me because they don’t see my picture in the streets...

Obviously he is correct. If he was a prince of any importance, the Saudi government would have raised such a stink that the State Department would have quickly taken him home on a special military transport and apologized for any inconvenience those uncouth local authorities might have put him through.

[Cheburashka]

There are a lot of American drunk drivers who won't accept responsibility. Being an Arab has nothing to do with it.

The guy's still an idjit. He doesn't seem to make the connection that his own actions - drinking alcoholic beverages and then getting in the car and driving - are what put him in his predicament.

In Saudi Arabia they don't have all these fine distinctions about how you killed someone, it probably would have been classified as murder and he would probably have been facing beheading if his family didn't pay out the bucks. The deceased family can get you off a death sentence by forgiving you, so a large gratuity to the deceased's loved ones would be in order.

[VRWCtaz]

"described a typical day as consisting of reading, watching television, going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and playing cards with his fellow inmates"

Take out the AA meetings, change fellow inmates to friends and you have just described my last vacation!

[Dark Skies]

Being an Arab has nothing to do with it.

Not being an arab...being a muslim.

Have you ever heard a muslim spokesman says "yes, islam is to blame for islamic terrorism and we must be responsible for its cessation."

As was reported by a Pew poll last week,

One of the more surprising findings in the poll was that solid majorities in Indonesia (65 percent), Turkey (59 percent), Egypt (59 percent) and Jordan (53 percent) said they do not believe the 9/11 attacks on the United States were carried out by groups of Arabs.

Source:http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/730769.html

[Cheburashka]

I'm talking about denial of personal responsibility for your own actions, i.e. you get drunk, you get in a car, you kill someone, you're responsible.

And there are lots of Americans, even some with the name Kennedy, that try to deny that.

Issues about how Moslems as individuals or as groups interact with non-Moslems as individuals or as groups are valid topics, but they don't have any relevance to the point I'm making on this thread.

[Mad Dawg]

It's really very interesting to me. There seem to be no sense of responsibility. Of course, it could be just the reporter. AA isn't going to do a lot for this drunk.