Dubai: A 14-year-old boy has died in hospital after being knocked down while riding his bike in the same place where his mother was also run over and killed three years ago.
The accident happened on March 30 on Abu Hail Street, the boy was hospitalised for 12 days and died of his injuries on Friday, according to Salah Bu Farousha, Head of Dubai Traffic Public Prosecution (TPP).
“Onsite investigations and traffic prosecutors’ interrogations exposed the bitter and tragic coincidence that the boy died right at the same intersection where his mother was run over and killed in June 2011," Bu Farousha told Gulf News on Monday.
"The family lives in the same neighbourhood where the two tragic incidents took place at Abu Hail intersection in Deira. The driver was placed under provisional detention and was recently granted conditional bail.”
Describing the tragedy as heartbreaking, the TPP’s head said the boy’s mother was standing on the side of the same intersection when a car suddenly hit another vehicle that knocked her down and killed her on June 20, 2011.
“The mother died on the spot. Three years later, the woman’s son was riding his bicycle on the same pedestrian crossing of the intersection when a car ran over the child. According to onsite investigations, the boy and the driver had a shared liability. The boy crossed the road in a wrongful manner, but the driver also did not pay proper attention to the safety of road users. However, investigations are still ongoing,” said Bu Farousha.
‘Very difficult times’
Traffic prosecutors are still gathering witness statements and will be hearing the testimony of the boy’s father, he said.
“The family is going through very difficult times. This is the first incident of its kinds in terms of haplessness and awfulness of the coincidence… particularly, that the mother and her son died in the same spot and in the same manner within three years. We constantly urge drivers to be cautious and always vigilant, especially pertaining to surprises on the road. In accidents involving pedestrians, prosecutors always examine surveillance cameras and look into Dubai Police’s technical reports and study all available evidence and witness accounts to decide on the required legal action,” said Bu Farousha.
He urged drivers to always stay within the speed limit, particularly in residential areas.
