Dubai: Traffic prosecutors produced in court on Thursday a surveillance camera footage showing a driver jumping a red light and accidentally killing the UAE’s first plastic surgeon while riding his motorbike.
The Pakistani defendant contended that the signal was green when he turned left and ran over the prominent Emirati plastic surgeon, Dr Ali Al Numairy, and caused his death when he pleaded innocent before the Dubai Traffic Misdemeanour Court.
“Today we are displaying a video footage [taken from a surveillance camera installed on the top of building] that confirms that the defendant jumped a red signal, ran over the motorcyclist and killed him. The suspect’s car was in the left lane of the traffic junction [in the direction from Dubai Floating Bridge towards Dnata junction]. When the three straight lanes signal turned green, the defendant took off and turned left before he rammed into the victim and killed him,” Traffic Prosecutor Ali Khatir, of Dubai Traffic Public Prosecution (TPP), argued before presiding judge Jasem Al Beloushi.
“I believe that the signal’s light was green when I moved,” contended the 34-year-old Pakistani driver who rejected the accusation and pleaded not guilty.
TPP accused the defendant of driving inattentively, jumping a red light and accidentally causing the death of Dr Al Numairy. He was also accused of damaging the victim’s motorbike last month.
Khatir told Gulf News that the defendant moved his car when the lights facing the straight lanes turned green.
“He turned his vehicle to the left although the light in his direction [left] were still red. Meanwhile the motorcyclist’s side was green. The victim drove in the proper direction towards the Floating Bridge. The victim died on spot at the accident site. We heard the statement of a traffic expert and that of a witness who happened to have spotted the accident while he was on his balcony,” said Khatir.
The witness confirmed that he saw from his balcony that the Pakistani jumped a red signal and knocked down the victim.
Khatir argued that TPP displayed the surveillance footage on a projector inside the courtroom and explained how the defendant crossed a red signal and not a green light as he claimed.
“We explained to court there was a motorist, who was behind the defendant’s vehicle and flashed for him the high beam to warn him not to continue driving because the left lane signal was still red and didn’t turn green. The suspect continued driving and hit the victim,” said the traffic prosecutor.
The court adjourned until the suspect’s lawyer presents his defence later this month.
Police, said the renowned Emirati surgeon, 57, had just left work in Deira when the tragedy struck. Dr Al Numairy was thrown off his motorcycle and landed on his head resulting in his immediate death.
