Al Ain accident truck driver referred to court

Abu Dhabi: The truck driver involved in the horrific Al Ain accident which led to the loss of 21 lives has been referred to the Criminal Court of Abu Dhabi.

The suspect is accused of reckless driving, damaging public property and negligence causing the workers’ deaths, among other charges.

The accident took pace on February 4 when a truck carrying 75 tonnes of construction material including stones rammed into a bus with 45 workers from behind, Gulf News reported earlier.

Twenty-four were also injured during the crash, including five Pakistanis.

The accused was allegedly travelling down a two-way road while not abiding by the speed limit or leaving a safe distance between him and the bus in front of him.

The Abu Dhabi Police reported that these circumstances led to the collision as the suspect was unable to stop his vehicle in time to avoid the crash.

According to reports, the truck collided with the bus and both vehicles hit a metal barrier. The bus then slid down a slope on the side and fell on its right side while the truck followed it down the slope and crashed into the bus.

The Public Prosecution urged all heavy vehicle drivers to abide by traffic laws and to check their vehicles’ mechanical safety.