Jake McLean’s mother arrives in Turkey to meet police who want to ask about his ‘state of mind’

The devastated mother of Jake McLean has arrived in Turkey to meet police handling the investigation into the car crash that killed her son and left his girlfriend Yazmin Oukhellou seriously injured.

Anita Walsh will speak with senior officers at Yalikavak police station, who are looking into the circumstances of the crash in the early hours of Sunday morning.

It has been claimed that Jake and Yazmin had a blazing row at a nightclub in Turkey shortly before the car crash. 

The couple were travelling along a windy, mountainous road that runs from the seaside resort of Yalikavak to Bodrum.

A police official at the station told MailOnline: ‘As per Turkish legal procedures, we will meet with Jake’s mother and take a statement from her. We have had a brief conversation with her and as you can imagine, she’s devastated.

‘We need some details from her about Jake and his state of mind in the days leading up to the crash. We don’t want to add to her anguish and understand the difficult time she is going through.’

Jake McLean died after crashing his car off a road near the party resort of Bodrum, in Turkey, leaving on-off partner Yazmin Oukhellou with ‘serious’ injuries to one of her arms

Jake's car left the road on a sharp bend, crashed through a sign warning of a sharp turn, tumbled 10ft down a steep embankment and came to rest on its roof (pictured)

Jake’s car left the road on a sharp bend, crashed through a sign warning of a sharp turn, tumbled 10ft down a steep embankment and came to rest on its roof (pictured) 

Jake (left) was pronounced dead at the scene while Yazmin (right) was rushed to hospital where she had surgery on her arm, and is now recovering

 Jake (left) was pronounced dead at the scene while Yazmin (right) was rushed to hospital where she had surgery on her arm, and is now recovering

Yazmin’s mother Lisa is also in Bodrum where she has been consoling her daughter at the hospital where she is being treated.

Turkish police will surely be interested in the claim that the on-off couple were ‘locked in a furious argument’ in front of revellers inside a club in the holiday resort city of Bodrum around 3am Sunday.

Despite the row, Jake and Yazmin, 28, left the club together and got into a car which he crashed at a notorious accident blackspot a short time later.

Jake, 33, was pronounced dead at the scene while Yazmin ‘seriously injured’ one of her arms and was taken to hospital. She had an operation, and is now recovering.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash, and are working on the theory that Jake careened off the road by accident – causing the car to tumble down a steep embankment before coming to rest on its roof.

However, they will test his blood for alcohol as part of a routine autopsy and plan to interview Yazmin in hospital to get her account of the crash. 

Speaking to The Sun, a source said: ‘Jake and Yazmin were locked in a furious argument in the club in front of everyone. 

‘Things got extremely heated quickly but they ended up leaving the venue together. They got into their car straight from the venue – it’s all so tragic.’

Locals say the route where the crash happened is a notorious accident blackspot, particularly for tourists who use it to shuttle between bars and clubs at night

Locals say the route where the crash happened is a notorious accident blackspot, particularly for tourists who use it to shuttle between bars and clubs at night 

Photos of the scene show tyre tracks in gravel beside the road thought to have been made by Jake's vehicle as it left the tarmac and headed for the embankment

Photos of the scene show tyre tracks in gravel beside the road thought to have been made by Jake’s vehicle as it left the tarmac and headed for the embankment 

The route where the tragedy happened spans 10 miles between the city of Bodrum and town of Yalikavak, which is on the other side of the Bodrum Peninsula on the Aegean coast, in southern Turkey.

The first leg of the route runs straight and flat out of Bodrum along a four-lane highway, but then cuts back into the hills at which point it becomes narrower and takes a number of tight turns.

Locals told MailOnline that accidents along the second part of the route are common, especially among holidaymakers who mostly use it at night to shuttle between the clubs, bars and restaurants in both Bodrum and Yalikavak.

Images of the scene show a tight bend with small reflective signs warning of a sharp bend in the road, but which could be difficult to see at night.

Tyre tracks appear in gravel beside the road, leading to the spot where Jake’s car is thought to have left the tarmac, demolished one of the warning signs, and then plunged down an embankment. 

Damage in the undergrowth suggests the vehicle fell 10ft before stopping. 

Hussain, who works in the Yeri restaurant said: ‘Car accidents happen along this road all the time. I didn’t see this particular crash but I’ve heard that it was a bad one. All the locals know about it.

‘There are signs warning of dangerous bends but a lot of the time it’s dark, people are driving faster than normal, and accidents happen.’

Mehmet, who works at the Ofisi petrol station at the foot of the Bodrum-Yalikavak road said: ‘There are a lot of bends in this road and it can be very dangerous. 

‘We get a lot of tourists here who hire their own cars and sadly, a lot of accidents happen during the summer months.’

The vehicle appears to have left the road at this spot, smashing through a reflective warning sign before tumbling down an embankment

The vehicle appears to have left the road at this spot, smashing through a reflective warning sign before tumbling down an embankment

Lauren Goodger

Lauren Goodger has broken her silence after her ex-boyfriend Jake McLean was killed in a horror car crash in Turkey yesterday, with passenger Yazmin Oukhellou still recovering from her injuries

Lauren Goodger (pictured for the first time after his death) has broken her silence after her ex-boyfriend Jake McLean was killed in a horror car crash in Turkey yesterday, with passenger Yazmin Oukhellou still recovering from her injuries 

Yazmin – who rose to fame appearing reality TV show TOWIE – began dating Jake in May last year before revealing their relationship on Instagram in December.

She hinted their relationship was unstable at the time, saying they had already shared some ‘ups and downs’ but ‘wouldn’t have it any other way’. 

However, the couple split just a month later after Jake was seen ‘acting single’ while on holiday in Dubai and amid suspicion he was hooking up with ex Ellie Jones, who appeared on Love Island.

The couple were still thought to be broken up at the time of the crash in Turkey, and it is unclear exactly why they were there together.

Sources close to the pair have suggested they were in Bodrum to sign some kind of business deal together, though no further details have been revealed.

Yazmin’s mother is now thought to be at her bedside in Turkey as she recovers. 

Jake became a public figure via his relationship with TOWIE regular Lauren Goodger, who he dated between 2012 and 2016 as she appeared on the show along with Dancing on Ice and Celebrity Big Brother. 

Lauren broke her silence on the crash yesterday, posting a tribute to her ex on Instagram.

The 35-year-old, who is currently pregnant with her second child by partner Charles Drury, wrote:  ‘RIP Jake. I have no words right now. My thoughts are with your family and friends.’ 

Jake’s aunt, Sheila McLean, tearfully paid tribute to her nephew from her home in east London today – telling MailOnline: ‘Jake was a lovely boy… We’re all so upset.’ 

Photos of the scene of the crash have also emerged, showing a dark-coloured car on its roof in tall grass with paramedics and police working nearby.

The front and rear doors of the car are open and one of its front headlights is on, with the left-turn indicator flashing.

Jake (right) rose to fame while dating Lauren (left) as she appeared on The Only Way Is Essex, Dancing on Ice and Celebrity Big Brother. The on-off couple got together for the first time in 2012 but split for good in 2016 (pictured in 2013)

Jake (right) rose to fame while dating Lauren (left) as she appeared on The Only Way Is Essex, Dancing on Ice and Celebrity Big Brother. The on-off couple got together for the first time in 2012 but split for good in 2016 (pictured in 2013)

Loss of life: Jake, who was 33, is understood to have been driving in Bodrum, Turkey when the horror crash took place

Loss of life: Jake, who was 33, is understood to have been driving in Bodrum, Turkey when the horror crash took place 

Pals close to Lauren told MailOnline the pregnant mother-of-one has been left ‘devastated’ by Jake’s untimely passing. 

Speaking to The Sun another source added: ‘Apparently Jake was driving when he lost control of the car and it went off a cliff.’

The Sun reported that Jake was in Turkey for a business deal, and Yazmin had joined him in the tourist resort of Bodrum in recent days. 

Sources have told the publication that Yazmin has suffered ‘extremely serious’ damage to her arm in the crash. 

A show source said: ‘We’re crossing our fingers and praying she makes a full recovery quickly. It’s beyond shocking, just devastating for everyone connected to the show.

‘Jake and Yaz are both very well known in our circles, and while he wasn’t a saint this is just unbelievably tragic. Everyone is stunned.’

Another cast member said: ‘Nobody is quite sure what they were doing out there, we thought they’d split up, but apparently he was involved in some sort of business deal.

‘But whatever’s gone on this is just heart-breaking. It sounds very, very serious, perhaps life-changing.’

Jake was jailed for three-and-a-half years in 2008 after conning his way into a mother’s house and overpowering her before a masked gang ran in and raided the family home. 

He reportedly tricked his way into the property pretending to be an estate agent.

Latest: Yazmin last shared a photo to Instagram on Tuesday from her London home, wearing an all black outfit

Update: A spokeswoman for the TOWIE star, 28, told MailOnline: 'Yazmin is stable and recovering in hospital after surgery. 'Yazmin and her family have requested privacy at this time'

Latest: Yazmin last shared a photo to Instagram on Tuesday from her London home, wearing an all black outfit

Comeback: Yazmin was due to make her return to TOWIE this year after filming with the cast in the Dominican Republic last month

Comeback: Yazmin was due to make her return to TOWIE this year after filming with the cast in the Dominican Republic last month

Jake, who was 18 at the time, was part of a gang of six. The other five members ran into the home carrying imitation pistols and threatened to kill their victims if they screamed for help.

It is believed he only served half of his sentence and had been in prison for other convictions since. In 2018 he shared Instagram posts showing himself wearing a leg tag.

In 2013, Lauren, who met her former lover via Twitter, admitted she was aware of Jake’s criminal convictions but was willing to oversee his wrongdoings.

She said: ‘Jake told me about his past. I could see how much he regretted his actions. I try to take people as I find them.’

Yazmin and Jake have been dating on and off since May 2021, after the TOWIE star called quits on her long-term relationship with co-star James Lock, 35.

Yazmin moved to Dubai last year to be with Jake after quitting TOWIE.

But the reality favourite ended her romance with Jake in January after discovering he had been unfaithful with former Love Island contestant Ellie.

Sources close to Yazmin say her relationship with Jake was ‘pretty toxic at times.’ It is unknown when or how the pair reconciled.

This year, Yazmin was set to make her return to TOWIE after filming with the cast in the Dominican Republic.

She had shared photos alongside co-star Harry Derbidge, 28, from the Caribbean in June.

According to her Instagram, Yazmin finished filming for TOWIE in the Dominican Republic, and headed on holiday to Ibiza, where she posed in her bikini at O Beach

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