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Police: Boyfriend Of Australian Who Died In Jet Ski Accident To Be Charged

He is expected to face charges of reckless driving causing death.
The partner of an Australian woman who died in a devastating jet-ski accident is expected to be charged by Thai police.
Facebook/Emily Jane Collie
The partner of an Australian woman who died in a devastating jet-ski accident is expected to be charged by Thai police.

Police have confirmed the partner of a 20-year-old Victorian woman who died following a devastating high-speed jet-ski accident in Phuket on Sunday is to face charges of reckless driving causing death.

Emily Jane Collie was killed after her jet-ski allegedly collided with the one her partner, 22-year-old Thomas Keating, was riding in the ocean off Kata Beach while holidaying on a resort island in Thailand.

Keating told Thai officials that the strong sunlight from the sea made it impossible for him and Collie to see each other, leading to the crash, according to the Bangkok Post.

Lieutenant Patiwat Yodkhwan of the Karon Police said: "Ms Collies boyfriend, Mr Keating, who was driving the other jet-ski when they collided will faces charges of reckless driving causing death," according to The Phuket News.

"Ms Collie was pronounced dead at the scene her body was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital."

Collie's parents are reportedly flying to Phuket to collect her body and expected to arrive on Wednesday.

Thai police also added that the insurance coverage on the jet-skis entitles Collie's parents to a pay-out worth 50,000THB -- the equivalent of just under $A1900. Initially following the incident, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) said that they couldn't provide further information for privacy reasons.

"The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman who died in Phuket," it said.

The Huffington Post Australia has contacted DFAT for an updated comment regarding the alleged charges. Meanwhile, friends and family of Collie have paid tribute to her as a strong and determined woman who was on the trip of a lifetime.

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