Dubai: A Chinese woman was the first one killed in a road accident in Dubai at 2.30am on Tuesday when new year’s eve parties were in full swing.

According to Dubai Police, at least two people, including the woman, were killed on the first day of 2013 while one sustained serious injuries in three separate traffic accidents.

Police said that the Chinese woman in her early 30s was run over by a car driven by a Syrian man at Discovery Gardens.

A traffic police expert, Lt Col Omar Musa Hassan Ashoor, said the woman was killed while she was crossing the main road after she left a new year’s eve party. He said the driver was taken into custody.

“We are not sure yet if the driver or the victim was under the influence of alcohol,” he said, adding that blood samples had been taken for testing.

Another man was killed on the spot on Al Safa Road at 7am on Tuesday in a car crash. An official from Bur Dubai police station said the accident happened when the victim who was driving rashed into a heavy vehicle that belongs to Dubai Municipality.

The driver who was apparently not keeping a safe distance crashed into the municipality truck which had stopped to collect garbage.

In the third incident, a motorcyclist sustained serious injures to the head after he was run over by a car in Naif area.

Meanwhile, police said that new year’s eve passed without any incident in the emirate.

Maj Gen Mohammad Eid Al Mansouri, Director of the General Department of Protective Security and Emergency at Dubai Police and head of committees for activities in Dubai, said police and organisers were ready and alerted to ensure a trouble-free night for all.

“People enjoyed their night at Burj Khalifa and other areas in Dubai with full safety and security,” he said.

“Our main concern was the traffic gridlock but this year the traffic jam was under control,” he said.

Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director of Criminal and Investigation Department (CID) at Dubai Police, said his force was on maximum alert.

Brigadier Al Mansouri said, “Our police patrols from all police stations were alerted to secure the events which went off very smoothly and securely with no major problems reported from anywhere.” Police said a number of drivers were issued fines for reckless driving and some for driving recklessly and causing accidents while under the influence of alcohol.