UAE | Crime
Six months jail for 'daydreamer' who killed traffic policeman
The Traffic Court on Wednesday sentenced a motorist, who ran his vehicle over and killed a policeman in airport tunnel, to six months in jail.
- By Bassam Zaza, Senior Reporter
- Published: 10:05 February 20, 2008
Dubai: "Daydreaming" drivers who cause fatalities or damage property will be dealt with severely, warned a senior official yesterday.
Salah Bu Farousha, Head of Dubai's Traffic Prosecution, gave the warning after an Emirati driver who ran over and killed a traffic policeman was jailed for six months.
Yesterday, Presiding Judge Jassem Mohammad Ebrahim of Dubai's Traffic Court of First Instance sentenced the 22-year-old Emirati, M.K., to six months in jail and revoked his driving licence for one year.
He will have to pay Dh200,000 in blood money to the parents of the 47-year-old Yemeni traffic sergeant who succumbed to serious brain fractures in hospital.
The Traffic Public Prosecution charged M.K. with speeding, driving recklessly and inattentively and accidentally killing the victim who was on duty.
"Following this tragic case, we would like to forewarn the public that we will tail negligent drivers, especially those who daydream while driving their vehicles, and who take lives or damage property with their careless driving skills.
"We call on drivers to adhere to local and federal traffic laws, otherwise, the sword of justice will be right behind you... we will ask the Dubai courts to apply the toughest and sternest punishments in order to protect lives and save property," Bu Farousha told Gulf News.
In his argument before Judge Ebrahim, Bu Farousha said: "The Roads and Transport Authority's cameras clearly showed that the accused drove inattentively. He hit the policeman who died the next day."
Bu Farousha said the deceased was carrying out his job properly when "he wore the fluorescent jacket (which traffic policemen wear when marking accidents) and used the warning lights of his patrol".
"More than 40 cars passed by the victim when he was examining the accident before the accused ran him over," said Bu Farousha.
The court incriminated the accused based on the traffic police report which said visibility was clear and M.K. drove inattentively before he ran over the victim.
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